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PROBLEMS FACING HEALTHCARE In many countries with modern medical technology, healthcare systems are facing enormous difficulties in meeting demand, distributing resources, and providing adequate care. As they become larger and more Bureaucratic , both workers and patients are finding themselves becoming Dehumanized . Healthcare workers are cited as experiencing unusually high levels of stress. Doctors facing a large number patients are not giving individual patients the attention they want, resulting in patients who seek Alternative Treatments instead. The rising costs of medical services, technology, and Medication are making resources unevenly distributed and healthcare unaffordable for many patients. Furthermore, lawsuits against healthcare providers have become a major burden, and have risen in both number and expenses. HUMANISTIC PHILOSOPHY Humanistic medicine, as its name implies, draws from the ideals of Humanism . It is rooted in a concern for fellow humans, for their emotions, their suffering and their peace of mind. Its practice is focused on the needs and welfare of the individuals involved, and on finding a rational ways to alleviate each person's suffering. Humanistic medicine can be seen as bridging the gap between scientific, evidence-based medicine and Holistic or care-based medicine. It asserts that contemporary medicine has become increasingly focused on the science of medicine to the detriment of the art of healing. It aims to restore the role of compassion, empathy, gentleness, and patience, all values grounded in virtue-based Ethics . The phrase "values-based medicine" has also been coined to emphasize the value of individual human life that is content and free of suffering. The philosophy assumes that all aspects of healthcare should seek to fulfill these values. PRACTICE Among the approaches used to encourage the practice of a more humane medicine are narrative medicine and patient empowerment. Narrative medicine is a way of educating physicians, nurses and other providers that uses storytelling (and active listening) to emphasize the humanity of patient and provider. Patient empowerment seeks to create an equal partnership between doctors and their patients. Both of the practices emphasize the importance of the human experience in the practice of medicine, and help to ensure that the humanity of the patient is not obscured in a morass of lab results, patient charts, and insurance regulations. Humanistic medicine strives to create ideal and balanced care that sacrifices neither cutting-edge science nor the gentle art of creating a caring relationship. Various health professional schools across the U.S. have begun to integrate humanistic medical teaching into their curricula in an effort to offset what some view as an over-emphasis on medical technology to the detriment of individual patient care. REFERENCES |
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