The changing role of physicians

Despite a very successful process of professionalisation during the past 150 years, today's physicians face several challenges urging them to adapt their traditional professional role and the patient-physician relationship inherent in this role. Among these challenges, a growing economic influe...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Bundesgesundheitsblatt, Gesundheitsforschung, Gesundheitsschutz Gesundheitsforschung, Gesundheitsschutz, 2012-09, Vol.55 (9), p.1100-1105
Main Author: Siegrist, J
Format: Article
Language:ger
Subjects:
Germany
Patient Participation - trends
Patient-Centered Care - trends
Physician's Role
Physician-Patient Relations
Online Access:Get full text
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Summary:Despite a very successful process of professionalisation during the past 150 years, today's physicians face several challenges urging them to adapt their traditional professional role and the patient-physician relationship inherent in this role. Among these challenges, a growing economic influence on physicians' practices, new demands from particular groups of patients (consumerism, role of the Internet etc.), and increasing inter-professional competition deserve special attention. New evidence of an association between a stressful work environment and physician's increased health risks provides additional support in favour of this notion. This contribution suggests potential directions of change of the physician's role by pointing to (a) a growing 'feminisation' of medicine, (b) an even stronger emphasis on patient needs and (c) extended teamwork and inter-professional cooperation.
ISSN:1437-1588
DOI:10.1007/s00103-012-1527-y