Desirable Physician Behaviors

  • Courtesy
  • Caring and empathy
  • Intellectual curiosity
  • Conscientiousness
  • Advocate for patients
  • Recommend improvements in patient care
  • Communicate clearly and in a polite manner, and in an appropriate venue  

We have an ethical obligation to enhance these behaviors in ourselves.  

A profession is a group of individuals who speak together to declare and make public shared values and standards that govern their work. Professional behavior conforms to shared standards. Self-regulation is central.

Empathy is an antidote to anger and hostility, and new research shows neurobiologic correlates for empathy. Empathy has an inverse relationship to burnout and unprofessional attitudes and behavior in medical students. Empathy can be taught. (Wynia 2010)
  

Examples of desirable physician behavior:  

  • Criticism communicated in a reasonable manner and offered in good faith with the aim of improving patient care and safety
  • Expression of dissatisfaction with policies through appropriate grievance channels or other polite, non-personal means of communication
  • Use of cooperative approach to problem resolution; constructive criticism conveyed in a respectful and professional manner, without blame or shame or adverse outcomes
  • Active participation in Medical Staff and hospital meetings (i.e., comments made during or resulting from such meetings cannot be used as the basis for a complaint under this Code of Conduct, referral to the Health and Well-being Committee, economic sanctions, or the filing of an action before a state or federal agency)
  • Membership on other Medical Staffs
  • Seeking legal advice or the initiation of legal action for cause


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Last Updated On

January 26, 2012

Originally Published On

March 23, 2010