Communication in Health Care: Patients and Providers posted on 2026-01-24
Communication in health care relies on a foundation of trust and psychological safety amid unexamined assumptions, non-dits (which is French for things left unsaid), potentially mismatched expectations, asymmetries of knowledge and power, vulnerability, unspoken emotional defenses, and differences in understanding or health care literacy. Perhaps this is why effective communication requires more than clarity of language. It [Read More]
Maleficence in Healthcare posted on 2026-01-20
Maleficence in healthcare refers to any intentional and unintentional harm caused by healthcare providers or health systems. It is usually discussed in contrast to nonmaleficence, the avoidance of causing harm, one of the pillars of the Four Principles approach to medical ethics proposed by Beauchamp and Childress in the 1970s. Intentional maleficence manifests as deliberate actions that [Read More]
The Ethics of Truth-Telling in Procedural Medicine posted on 2026-01-15
In this first essay of the new year, I thought I would dedicate a few paragraphs to the ethics of truth-telling in procedural medicine. From the time they are medical students, doctors are burdened by decisions of what to say and how much to share with patients. The range of topics for which these decisions [Read More]
Wishing you all health and happiness posted on 2025-12-31
Looking forward to an exciting new year!
Beneficence, Benevolence, and the Act of Doing Good posted on 2025-12-30
More than two thousand years ago, the Hippocratic Corpus (5th century BCE) fostered principles of beneficence, non-maleficence, confidentiality, and accountability to help guide physician practices and behaviors. These ideals were later embraced by Christian, Jewish, and Islamic ethical traditions from the Middle Ages through the Enlightenment. In 7th century China, Sun Simiao emphasized compassion, selfless dedication, and duty in his [Read More]