Beyond “Heal Thyself”: Physicians as Patients—An Uneasy Role
Authors: Jeffrey H. Samet, Jane Liebschutz
Journal: Annals of Internal Medicine (2019)

Editorials18 June 2019Beyond "Heal Thyself": Physicians as Patients—An Uneasy RoleJeffrey H. Samet, MD, MA, MPH and Jane Liebschutz, MD, MPHJeffrey H. Samet, MD, MA, MPHBoston University Schools of Medicine and Public Health and Boston Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts (J.H.S.) and Jane Liebschutz, MD, MPHUniversity of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and UPMC Health System, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (J.L.)Author, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/M19-1192 SectionsAboutFull TextPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail In its position paper addressing physician impairment and rehabilitation (1), the American College of Physicians (ACP) Ethics, Professionalism and Human Rights Committee thoughtfully considers the imperfectly marked path that physicians are asked to tread: identify impairment, provide access to care, ensure patient safety, and rehabilitate. These are the responsibilities of physicians as professionals (monitoring oneself and one's peers) and as leaders (supervising highly trained persons).The paper begins with a poignant idea that can be restated as, "Illness is not impairment; impairment is difficulty in carrying out patient care responsibilities." From this guiding principle, a clear pathway should be constructed ...References1. Candilis PJ, Kim DT, Sulmasy LS; ACP Ethics, Professionalism and Human Rights Committee. Physician impairment and rehabilitation: reintegration into medical practice while ensuring patient safety: a position paper from the American College of Physicians. Ann Intern Med. 2019;170:871-9. doi:10.7326/M18-3605 LinkGoogle Scholar2. Sulmasy LS, Bledsoe TA; ACP Ethics, Professionalism and Human Rights Committee. American College of Physicians ethics manual: seventh edition. Ann Intern Med. 2019;170:S1-S32. [PMID: 30641552]. doi:10.7326/M18-2160 LinkGoogle Scholar3. Raj KS. Well-being in residency: a systematic review. J Grad Med Educ. 2016;8:674-84. [PMID: 28018531] doi:10.4300/JGME-D-15-00764.1 CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar4. National Academy of Medicine. Clinician Well-Being Knowledge Hub. Washington, DC: National Academy of Medicine; 2019. Accessed at https://nam.edu/clinicianwellbeing on 10 April 2019. Google Scholar5. Shanafelt T, Trockel M, Ripp J, Murphy ML, Sandborg C, Bohman B. Building a program on well-being: key design considerations to meet the unique needs of each organization. Acad Med. 2019;94:156-61. [PMID: 30134268] doi:10.1097/ACM.0000000000002415 CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar6. Maroon J. Square One: A Simple Guide to a Balanced Life. Reston, VA: Pythia; 2017. Google Scholar7. American Medical Association. Access to Confidential Health Services for Medical Students and Physicians. 2016. Accessed at www.ama-assn.org/sites/default/files/media-browser/i16-cme-reports.pdf on 8 May 2019. Google Scholar Author, Article, and Disclosure InformationAffiliations: Boston University Schools of Medicine and Public Health and Boston Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts (J.H.S.)University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and UPMC Health System, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (J.L.)Acknowledgment: The authors thank Casy Calver, PhD, for her assistance in preparing this manuscript.Disclosures: Authors have disclosed no conflicts of interest. Forms can be viewed at www.acponline.org/authors/icmje/ConflictOfInterestForms.do?msNum=M19-1192.Corresponding Author: Jeffrey H. Samet, MD, MA, MPH, Boston University Schools of Medicine and Public Health, Boston Medical Center, 801 Massachusetts Avenue, 2nd Floor, Boston, MA 02118; e-mail, [email protected]edu.Current Author Addresses: Dr. Samet: Boston University Schools of Medicine and Public Health, Boston Medical Center, 801 Massachusetts Avenue, 2nd Floor, Boston, MA 02118.Dr. Liebschutz: Division of General Internal Medicine, Center for Research on Health Care, UPMC Montefiore Hospital, 200 Lothrop Street, Suite 933W, Pittsburgh, PA 15213.This article was published at Annals.org on 4 June 2019. PreviousarticleNextarticle Advertisement FiguresReferencesRelatedDetailsSee AlsoPhysician Impairment and Rehabilitation: Reintegration Into Medical Practice While Ensuring Patient Safety: A Position Paper From the American College of Physicians Philip J. Candilis , Daniel T. Kim , Lois Snyder Sulmasy , and Metrics Cited byWenn Versorgende selbst Betroffene werden 18 June 2019Volume 170, Issue 12Page: 893-894KeywordsBehaviorFallsHealth care qualityHospital medicinePatient advocacyPatientsPrevention, policy, and public healthSafetySleepTreatment guidelines ePublished: 4 June 2019 Issue Published: 18 June 2019 Copyright & PermissionsCopyright © 2019 by American College of Physicians. All Rights Reserved.PDF downloadLoading ...