Handshake as the First Step in Ethical Medicine

Abstract

The concept of medical progress is usually taken for granted; however, in some sense, it gets out of hand if the value of the solid relationship between doctor and patient is underestimated. Such an interaction starts with a strong handshake and a pat on the shoulder: two sings for a correct start of a bioethical approach. Patients usually evaluate the doctor by non-professional norms, which may be influenced by the patient's cultural background and the lay referral process. Thus, to some extent, the doctor must perform in accordance with the patient's expectations, which may require him to adapt to new bioethical norms. Whether the patient will return or follow the physician's advice depends on the patient's evaluation of how he performed his role, mainly in ethical terms. Here we report three cases of nephrological interest relating to the expectations communicated to the doctors, together with their response when dealing with these expectations. (Bioethics)