Saba Mirikermanshahi; Negin Nouraei; Mehdi Azadibadrbani
Abstract
In modern medicine, paraclinical findings carry out a major role in the process of diagnosis and treatment and physician decisions are largely made with the help of these findings.The expansion of these technologies has diminished the role of physician-patient dialogue, which is necessary for clinical ...
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In modern medicine, paraclinical findings carry out a major role in the process of diagnosis and treatment and physician decisions are largely made with the help of these findings.The expansion of these technologies has diminished the role of physician-patient dialogue, which is necessary for clinical practice. However, medicine is fundamentally a hermeneutical process that requires a common understanding between the physician and patient, which takes place in the context of clinical encounter, and therefore para-clinical findings will in no way replace the conversation with the patient; therefore, the importance of paying attention to hermeneutics in medicine is understandable.This article, as well as presenting an explanation of Gadamer's hermeneutics, analyses the process of understanding from Gadamer's point of view and argues that the hermeneutical reading of medicine, as Gadamer intends, requires attention to the Aristotelian concept of phronesis.Since empathy is necessary to achieve a common understanding, or, in Gadamer's words, a “fusion of horizons of understanding”, this article goes on to discuss empathy and introduce some of common definitions of empathy in medicine.Finally, by criticizing the common approaches to empathy, presents a phenomenological understanding of empathy by employing Lou Agosta's interpretations, and considers empathy not only as a tool to increase patient satisfaction with the physician, but also by emphasizing on conceptual fusion of hermeneutics and empathy, considers empathy as a critical and basic condition for achieving common understanding in the clinical dialogue process.
Aryan Kavosh; Faraz Golafshan; Nazanin Soleimani; Seyedeh parnian Hosseini kazerouni
Abstract
From a phenomenological perspective, we review the concept of empathy in medicine to identify the theoretical obstacles which have prevented reaching intersubjectivity and proper understanding. Where medicine has failed are: attending to subjectivities of patient and physician, recognizing the dynamic ...
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From a phenomenological perspective, we review the concept of empathy in medicine to identify the theoretical obstacles which have prevented reaching intersubjectivity and proper understanding. Where medicine has failed are: attending to subjectivities of patient and physician, recognizing the dynamic nature of empathy and acknowledging context-dependency of empathy. We also review the problematic practical consequences of this theoretical failure including serving medical paternalism, hindering medical practice, and being used as a tool for counterbalancing inadequate health budget and serving political power. Thus, using and interdisciplinary approach, we argue why the concept of empathy in medicine needs to be reviewed under the light of phenomenology and progress in line with second wave of medical humanities; put philosophy at its core to once again integrate proper understanding of the patient with the concept of medicine .
