The Importance and Protection of the Conscience of Physician in the Physician-Patient Relationship In democratic countries all over the world, the protection of the conscience of health workers represents a very relevant problem. Especially the controversial but legal procedures, such as abortion or, in some countries, euthanasia, are often refused by health workers on the basis of their conscience. The society faces a difficult dilemma of balancing the interests of physicians, patients, and health care systems. The thesis approaches the problem primarily from the perspective of Catholic moral theology in the frame of a predominantly secular environment of the contemporary Euro-American civilisation. There are analysed the concept of conscience, the basic principles of moral reasoning, virtue ethics and its importance for modern medicine and, finally, the concept of conscientious objection as a model example of the protection of health worker's conscience. The above mentioned particular topics serve as a basis for the evaluation of the importance of the conscience of health worker and the proposal of possible solutions to the related dilemmas.

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Une femme à risque d’un accouchement prématuré vit un enjeu de santé très éprouvant et stressant ; elle sera souvent hospitalisée pour recevoir des traitements médicaux visant à prolonger la grossesse et améliorer le pronostic du bébé. Dans ce contexte, une consultation avec un néonatalogiste est demandée. Plusieurs associations professionnelles médicales ont émis des lignes directrices sur cette consultation, insistant sur le besoin d’informer les parents au sujet des complications potentielles de la prématurité pour leur enfant. Ces recommandations s’inspirent du point de vue médical, et très peu d’études ont examiné la perspective, les attentes et les besoins des parents à risque d’un accouchement prématuré. Ce projet de thèse a pour objectif de proposer un modèle de relation médecin-patient informé de la perspective maternelle de la consultation anténatale, pour développer une approche clinique répondant à leurs besoins. Afin d’examiner cette problématique de façon complète, un travail constant de va-et-vient a été effectué entre la recension de données empiriques et une réflexion normative bioéthique féministe. Un projet de recherche empirique a d’abord permis d’explorer les attentes et le vécu de ces femmes. Les participantes espéraient recevoir plus que de l’information sur les complications de la prématurité. Elles souhaitaient que le néonatologiste soit attentif à leur situation particulière et qu’il développe une relation de confiance avec elles, leur permettant d’explorer leurs futurs rôles de mères et les encourageant à formuler leurs propres questions. Le cadre théorique féministe d’autonomie relationnelle a ensuite permis de proposer une approche de soin qui sache répondre aux besoins identifiés par les patientes, tout en adressant des enjeux de pouvoir intrinsèques à la clinique, qui influencent la santé et l’autonomie de ces femmes. Cette approche insiste sur l’importance de la relation de soin en clinique, contrastant avec un modèle encourageant une vision réductrice de l’autonomie, dans laquelle un simple transfert de données scientifiques serait équivalent au respect de la norme médicolégale du consentement éclairé. Ce modèle relationnel propose des actions concrètes et pratiques, encourageant les cliniciens à entrer en relation avec chaque patiente et à considérer l’influence qu’ils exercent sur l’autonomie relationnelle de leurs patientes. / Women at risk of preterm labour experience a highly stressful situation for which they are often hospitalised to receive the medical care required to delay their baby’s birth or to improve his outcome. Professional medical associations have published guidelines encouraging consultations with a neonatologist in these contexts. These emphasize informing parents about prematurity’s potential complications and outcomes. However, they are based on expert medical opinions, and little is known about parents’ perspectives of the antenatal consultation for preterm labour. This thesis proposes to elaborate a clinical model of a physician-patient relationship, grounded in mothers’ experiences and expectations from the antenatal consultation for preterm labour. In order to offer a comprehensive analysis of this clinical and ethical issue, both empirical data and a normative feminist bioethical framework were used. An empirical quantitative research project was first conducted to explore women’s experiences and their expectations regarding the antenatal consultation. Participants hoped to receive more than information from the antenatal consultation for preterm labour. Indeed, they hoped the neonatologist would strive to understand their unique and distinctive situations. They wanted the physician to develop trusting relationships, in which they would be enabled to ask questions important to them and in which many topics could be discussed – such as their roles as mothers of a premature baby. A feminist theory of relational autonomy was then used to examine this data. An approach to care responsive to women’s experiences is suggested, which considers not only their individual needs, but which is also critical of the many power imbalances inherent to the clinical setting that influence patients’ health and autonomy. This approach emphasizes the importance of relationships in the physician-patient encounter; it offers a striking contrast to consultation models that endorse a minimal conception of patient autonomy, in which the simple transfer of medical knowledge and data is believed to uphold the legal doctrine of informed consent. This relational model suggests practical and tangible means for physicians to engage in relationships with their patients and to consider the influence they have on their patients’ relational autonomy.

Foi realizado um survey transversal, descritivo e analítico em amostra não-probabilística, prontamente acessível, de tamanho 561, formada por pacientes que procuraram o Pronto-Socorro de Oftalmologia do Hospital das Clinicas da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo numa semana considerada típica de atendimento.Os dados foram obtidos através da ficha administrativa e aplicação de questionário semi-estruturado, realizado por meio de entrevistas. O questionário também constava de entrevista com o médico que fez o atendimento. O estudo teve como objetivos, em relação a usuários do pronto-socorro: descrever características sócio-demográficas, razões da procura e da escolha de unidade hospitalar, verificar conhecimentos e condutas referentes a causas e tratamentos do agravo ocular; verificar a adoção de tratamentos oculares prévios ao atendimento, identificar fontes de orientação na adoção de tratamentos, verificar causas de demora na procura de tratamento, identificar percepções sobre diagnóstico e tratamento prescrito. Em relação à instituição: determinar a proporção de atendimentos oculares de urgência e não urgência; disponibilizar informações para subsidiar intervenções educativas e assistenciais de saúde ocular. A análise estatística foi realizada com o uso do programa Stata (versão 9.0). Entre os resultados, destacou-se: o período de maior procura por atendimento oftalmológico no Pronto-Socorro do Hospital das Clínicas foi matutino e nos dias da semana; não houve diferença significante entre os sexos; a média de idade foi 39,8 anos; o atendimento foi realizado pelo Sistema Único de Saúde para 91,1% dos pacientes. A maioria dos atendidos tinha baixa renda e escolaridade. Metade dos pacientes era de fora da área de cobertura do Hospital das Clínicas. Para 49,0% a escolha do Hospital das Clínicas ocorreu por confiança e competência; para 42,2% por não haver oftalmologista nos serviços que costumam freqüentar. O tempo para procurar o serviço foi de mais de 24 horas a uma semana para 40,8% dos pacientes. A demora em procurar atendimento ocorreu por não considerar que era urgente por 47,0% e 34,1% foram a outro serviço antes. Daqueles que foram a outros serviços previamente, 48,8% não tiveram alteração do quadro, 39,6% pioraram sintomas. A automedicação foi usada prévio a vinda ao Pronto-Socorro por 40,5% dos pacientes. Desses, 29,4% usaram produtos caseiros. Os produtos mais freqüentemente utilizados foram água boricada, soro fisiológico, água de torneira ou poço, chás, compressas, lavagem com ervas (alecrim, arruda). Não foram observadas diferenças significativas no uso de automedicação para tratar os sintomas oculares entre homens e mulheres (p = 0,95), nas diferentes faixas etárias (p = 0,14) ou nos diferentes níveis de escolaridade (p = 0,21). Também não foi observada diferença no padrão de uso de automedicação quanto à situação de trabalho dos pacientes (p = 0,15) ou quanto ao seu local de residência (p = 0,52).Pacientes com diagnóstico de inflamação/infecção ou trauma apresentaram as maiores proporções de uso de automedicação (49,5%). Relataram ter procurado auxílio religioso para tratar o problema 16,1% dos pacientes. Referiram ter entendido a informação sobre o que tinham 95,1%dos pacientes. Dos que receberam prescrição de medicamento, 95,0% entenderam como e porque usá-lo. Aproximadamente 50,0% dos pacientes deram nota máxima ao atendimento recebido. Segundo os oftalmologistas, 18,1% eram casos de urgência e 83,2% dos casos poderiam ter sido resolvidos em serviços de menor complexidade. Dos pacientes, 55,2% apresentavam diagnóstico de inflamação/infecção; 19,1% trauma. Conjuntivite viral foi o diagnóstico mais freqüente 24,6%, seguido por corpo estranho de córnea 7,5%, meibomite 6,4%. Entre os pacientes atendidos, os plantonistas classificaram 11,7% como retorno e 2,0% pós-operatório. Não houve diferença significativa no diagnóstico clínico entre os pacientes que vieram espontaneamente e os referenciados (p = 0,09). Em relação ao preenchimento das fichas administrativas, ressalta-se que 3,6% não constavam o nome do médico, 3,4% não constavam o CRM, 33,4% não foram preenchidos histórico ou observações clínicas; 6,3% só constavam o CID como diagnóstico. Concluiu-se que: a automedicação é muito difundida entre os pacientes e o uso de produtos caseiros se faz presente mesmo nos casos de urgência ocular. Os pacientes estão recebendo e entendendo explicações sobre o agravo ocular e sobre o tratamento prescrito. Os plantonistas vêm mantendo um bom relacionamento médico-paciente. O atendimento recebido pelo paciente foi considerado excelente. O Pronto-Socorro de Oftalmologia do Hospital das Clínicas é um hospital terciário que atende em sua maioria, casos primários e secundários; a maioria dos diagnósticos não foi considerada como urgência / We report a transversal, descriptive and analytical survey in a non-probabilistic promptly accessible sample, composed of 561 patients who looked for the Ophthalmology Emergency Room (E.R) of Clinics Hospital of the University of Sao Paulo School of Medicine during a regular week. Data were collected from administrative charts and from semi-structured questionnaire through interviews. The questionnaire also included an interview with the physician who assisted the patient. The study had the following purposes relative to the E.R patients: to describe social-demographic characteristics; reasons for search and choice of the hospital unit; to assess knowledge and conducts related to eye diseases and their causes and treatment; to assess previous ocular treatments; to identify the causes of compliance with treatment; to identify the reason for delayed search to medical treatment; to identify the knowledge about diagnosed diseases and prescribed treatment. Relative to the institution: to assess the rate of urgent and non-urgent ocular visits; to provide helpful data for ocular health assistance and educational interventions. Statistical analysis was performed using Stata software (version 9.0). The most important results were: most searches for the Emergency Room occurred during the day and on week-days; no statistically significant difference related to gender; average age was 39.8; and 91.1% of visits were assisted by the Public Health System. Most patients had low schooling and money income. Half of the patients did not belong to the area covered by Clinics Hospital. Forty-nine percent of the patients chose Clinics Hospital based to trust on the professionals and their competence; for 42.2% of the patients due to unavailability of ophthalmologists in the health units they are used to go to. The time taken to search assistance was between 24 hours and 1 (one) week for 40.8% of the patients. Such delay was due to the fact the 47% of the patients did not believe that their situation was urgent, and 34.1% searched another health unit before. Among those who searched another unit, 48.8% did not report worsening of health symptoms by the time they reached the E.R, while 39.6% did. Auto-medication was used previously to the E.R. visit by 40.5% of the patients, 29.4% of whom used home-made products. Most of these products were: boric water, physiologic saline solution, tap or well water, and herbs. No significant difference in auto-medication between man and women (p = 0.95), in different age levels (p= 0.14) or schooling levels (p= 0.21) was observed, neither in relation to work situation (p= 0.15) or place of residence (p= 0.52). Higher rates of auto-medication were observed among patients with ocular inflammation/ infection or trauma (49.5%), while 16.1% of the patients reported search for religious help to treat their disease. 95.1% of the patients reported having understood the information given about their condition. Among those patients to whom medication was prescribed, 95% understood how and why to use it. Approximately 50% of the patients graded with the maximum score the xxii xxiii assistance received. According to the ophthalmologists opinion, 18.1% of visits were real urgent cases, while 83.2% could have been attended at less complex health units. 52.2% of the patients were diagnosed with inflammation/infectious diseases; and 19.1% with trauma. Viral conjunctivitis was the most frequent diagnosis (24.6%), followed by corneal foreign bodies (7.5%), and meibomitis (6.4%). Considering assisted patients, physicians classified 11.7% as return visits and 2.0% as post-surgical visits. There was no significant difference on clinical diagnosis between patients on spontaneous or referred assistance (p= 0.09). As for the administration charts, it is important to emphasize that 3.6% of them did not contain the physicians name, 3.4% did not contain the professional registration number, 33.4% did not contain historical and clinical observations, and 6.3% only contained the International Classification of Diseases number. In conclusion, auto-medication is largely used among patients and the use of home-made products occurs even in urgent ocular situations. Patients are receiving and understanding the explanations about their ocular diseases and the prescribed treatment. E.R ophthalmologists have had a satisfactory physician-patient relationship. Medical assistance received by patients was considered excellent. Clinics Hospital Ophthalmologic E.R is a reference service which assists mostly primary and secondary cases, most of them being considered non-urgent

Foi realizado um survey transversal, descritivo e analítico em amostra não-probabilística, prontamente acessível, de tamanho 561, formada por pacientes que procuraram o Pronto-Socorro de Oftalmologia do Hospital das Clinicas da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo numa semana considerada típica de atendimento.Os dados foram obtidos através da ficha administrativa e aplicação de questionário semi-estruturado, realizado por meio de entrevistas. O questionário também constava de entrevista com o médico que fez o atendimento. O estudo teve como objetivos, em relação a usuários do pronto-socorro: descrever características sócio-demográficas, razões da procura e da escolha de unidade hospitalar, verificar conhecimentos e condutas referentes a causas e tratamentos do agravo ocular; verificar a adoção de tratamentos oculares prévios ao atendimento, identificar fontes de orientação na adoção de tratamentos, verificar causas de demora na procura de tratamento, identificar percepções sobre diagnóstico e tratamento prescrito. Em relação à instituição: determinar a proporção de atendimentos oculares de urgência e não urgência; disponibilizar informações para subsidiar intervenções educativas e assistenciais de saúde ocular. A análise estatística foi realizada com o uso do programa Stata (versão 9.0). Entre os resultados, destacou-se: o período de maior procura por atendimento oftalmológico no Pronto-Socorro do Hospital das Clínicas foi matutino e nos dias da semana; não houve diferença significante entre os sexos; a média de idade foi 39,8 anos; o atendimento foi realizado pelo Sistema Único de Saúde para 91,1% dos pacientes. A maioria dos atendidos tinha baixa renda e escolaridade. Metade dos pacientes era de fora da área de cobertura do Hospital das Clínicas. Para 49,0% a escolha do Hospital das Clínicas ocorreu por confiança e competência; para 42,2% por não haver oftalmologista nos serviços que costumam freqüentar. O tempo para procurar o serviço foi de mais de 24 horas a uma semana para 40,8% dos pacientes. A demora em procurar atendimento ocorreu por não considerar que era urgente por 47,0% e 34,1% foram a outro serviço antes. Daqueles que foram a outros serviços previamente, 48,8% não tiveram alteração do quadro, 39,6% pioraram sintomas. A automedicação foi usada prévio a vinda ao Pronto-Socorro por 40,5% dos pacientes. Desses, 29,4% usaram produtos caseiros. Os produtos mais freqüentemente utilizados foram água boricada, soro fisiológico, água de torneira ou poço, chás, compressas, lavagem com ervas (alecrim, arruda). Não foram observadas diferenças significativas no uso de automedicação para tratar os sintomas oculares entre homens e mulheres (p = 0,95), nas diferentes faixas etárias (p = 0,14) ou nos diferentes níveis de escolaridade (p = 0,21). Também não foi observada diferença no padrão de uso de automedicação quanto à situação de trabalho dos pacientes (p = 0,15) ou quanto ao seu local de residência (p = 0,52).Pacientes com diagnóstico de inflamação/infecção ou trauma apresentaram as maiores proporções de uso de automedicação (49,5%). Relataram ter procurado auxílio religioso para tratar o problema 16,1% dos pacientes. Referiram ter entendido a informação sobre o que tinham 95,1%dos pacientes. Dos que receberam prescrição de medicamento, 95,0% entenderam como e porque usá-lo. Aproximadamente 50,0% dos pacientes deram nota máxima ao atendimento recebido. Segundo os oftalmologistas, 18,1% eram casos de urgência e 83,2% dos casos poderiam ter sido resolvidos em serviços de menor complexidade. Dos pacientes, 55,2% apresentavam diagnóstico de inflamação/infecção; 19,1% trauma. Conjuntivite viral foi o diagnóstico mais freqüente 24,6%, seguido por corpo estranho de córnea 7,5%, meibomite 6,4%. Entre os pacientes atendidos, os plantonistas classificaram 11,7% como retorno e 2,0% pós-operatório. Não houve diferença significativa no diagnóstico clínico entre os pacientes que vieram espontaneamente e os referenciados (p = 0,09). Em relação ao preenchimento das fichas administrativas, ressalta-se que 3,6% não constavam o nome do médico, 3,4% não constavam o CRM, 33,4% não foram preenchidos histórico ou observações clínicas; 6,3% só constavam o CID como diagnóstico. Concluiu-se que: a automedicação é muito difundida entre os pacientes e o uso de produtos caseiros se faz presente mesmo nos casos de urgência ocular. Os pacientes estão recebendo e entendendo explicações sobre o agravo ocular e sobre o tratamento prescrito. Os plantonistas vêm mantendo um bom relacionamento médico-paciente. O atendimento recebido pelo paciente foi considerado excelente. O Pronto-Socorro de Oftalmologia do Hospital das Clínicas é um hospital terciário que atende em sua maioria, casos primários e secundários; a maioria dos diagnósticos não foi considerada como urgência / We report a transversal, descriptive and analytical survey in a non-probabilistic promptly accessible sample, composed of 561 patients who looked for the Ophthalmology Emergency Room (E.R) of Clinics Hospital of the University of Sao Paulo School of Medicine during a regular week. Data were collected from administrative charts and from semi-structured questionnaire through interviews. The questionnaire also included an interview with the physician who assisted the patient. The study had the following purposes relative to the E.R patients: to describe social-demographic characteristics; reasons for search and choice of the hospital unit; to assess knowledge and conducts related to eye diseases and their causes and treatment; to assess previous ocular treatments; to identify the causes of compliance with treatment; to identify the reason for delayed search to medical treatment; to identify the knowledge about diagnosed diseases and prescribed treatment. Relative to the institution: to assess the rate of urgent and non-urgent ocular visits; to provide helpful data for ocular health assistance and educational interventions. Statistical analysis was performed using Stata software (version 9.0). The most important results were: most searches for the Emergency Room occurred during the day and on week-days; no statistically significant difference related to gender; average age was 39.8; and 91.1% of visits were assisted by the Public Health System. Most patients had low schooling and money income. Half of the patients did not belong to the area covered by Clinics Hospital. Forty-nine percent of the patients chose Clinics Hospital based to trust on the professionals and their competence; for 42.2% of the patients due to unavailability of ophthalmologists in the health units they are used to go to. The time taken to search assistance was between 24 hours and 1 (one) week for 40.8% of the patients. Such delay was due to the fact the 47% of the patients did not believe that their situation was urgent, and 34.1% searched another health unit before. Among those who searched another unit, 48.8% did not report worsening of health symptoms by the time they reached the E.R, while 39.6% did. Auto-medication was used previously to the E.R. visit by 40.5% of the patients, 29.4% of whom used home-made products. Most of these products were: boric water, physiologic saline solution, tap or well water, and herbs. No significant difference in auto-medication between man and women (p = 0.95), in different age levels (p= 0.14) or schooling levels (p= 0.21) was observed, neither in relation to work situation (p= 0.15) or place of residence (p= 0.52). Higher rates of auto-medication were observed among patients with ocular inflammation/ infection or trauma (49.5%), while 16.1% of the patients reported search for religious help to treat their disease. 95.1% of the patients reported having understood the information given about their condition. Among those patients to whom medication was prescribed, 95% understood how and why to use it. Approximately 50% of the patients graded with the maximum score the xxii xxiii assistance received. According to the ophthalmologists opinion, 18.1% of visits were real urgent cases, while 83.2% could have been attended at less complex health units. 52.2% of the patients were diagnosed with inflammation/infectious diseases; and 19.1% with trauma. Viral conjunctivitis was the most frequent diagnosis (24.6%), followed by corneal foreign bodies (7.5%), and meibomitis (6.4%). Considering assisted patients, physicians classified 11.7% as return visits and 2.0% as post-surgical visits. There was no significant difference on clinical diagnosis between patients on spontaneous or referred assistance (p= 0.09). As for the administration charts, it is important to emphasize that 3.6% of them did not contain the physicians name, 3.4% did not contain the professional registration number, 33.4% did not contain historical and clinical observations, and 6.3% only contained the International Classification of Diseases number. In conclusion, auto-medication is largely used among patients and the use of home-made products occurs even in urgent ocular situations. Patients are receiving and understanding the explanations about their ocular diseases and the prescribed treatment. E.R ophthalmologists have had a satisfactory physician-patient relationship. Medical assistance received by patients was considered excellent. Clinics Hospital Ophthalmologic E.R is a reference service which assists mostly primary and secondary cases, most of them being considered non-urgent

Denna essä syftar till att ur filosofiska och idéhistoriska perspektiv belysa utmaningar och möjligheter med artificiell intelligens (AI) och digitalisering inom hälso- och sjukvården, med fokus på läkekonst, kropp, hälsa och ovisshet. Essän undersöker hur automatisering och digitala vårdformer omformar läkekonstens grund, nämligen mötet mellan patienten och läkaren. Genom en fenomenologisk kritik av AI och teknikens väsen, belyses skillnaden mellan människan och maskinen och hur den levda erfarenheten är situerad, förkroppsligad, fylld av mening och delad med andra. Essän utforskar hur situationsunik kunskap som praktisk klokhet, fronesis, samt ett reflekterande förnuft, intellectus,kan hantera den ovisshet som är inbäddad i det allmänmedicinska mötet. Essän belyser även hur digitalisering och AI passar väl med pågående marknadsanpassning av sjukvården, där homo economicus och homo digitalis båda omformar kropp och hälsa till mätbara resurser och data. Avslutningsvis lyfts etiska dilemman kring AI och digitalisering, samt vikten av praktisk och existentiell kunskap som förutsättningar för utvecklandet och designen av en teknik som syftar främja det mänskligt goda. / This essay aims to illuminate challenges and opportunities with artificial intelligence (AI) and digitalization in health care, focusing on the art of medicine, body, health and uncertainty. The theoretical framework is mainly within the fields of phenomenology and philosophical hermeneutics. The essay explores how automatization and digital health care are transforming the essence of medicine: the patient – physician encounter. By a phenomenological critique of AI and the essence of technology, the essay highlights the difference between machines and humans and how lived experience is situated, embodied, filled with meaning and shared with others. The essay explores how situational knowledge such as practical wisdom, phronesis, and reflective understanding, intellectus, can deal with the uncertainty that is embedded in the medical encounter in primary health care. The essay also highlights how digitalization and AI fit well with current market adaptation of health care, where homo economicus and homo digitalis both transform body and health into measurable resources and data. Finally, ethical dilemmas of AI and digitalization are highlighted, as well as the importance of practical and existential knowledge as preconditions for the development and design of a technology that aims to promote the human good.