Distinguishing between reverence and respect is crucial in patient-doctor relationships. A certain level of reverence can contribute positively, akin to the placebo effect, but excessive reverence may hinder patients from questioning their doctors. It's important for patients to respect their doctors while feeling empowered to ask questions and engage actively in their care. A healthy dynamic is characterized by mutual respect rather than blind reverence, promoting a more effective and collaborative healthcare experience.
Physician Adam Cifu keeps a binder of every patient of his who has passed away. Every once in a while, he opens it and remembers the lives of his past patients. Morbid? Maybe a little. But it's just one of the ways Cifu tries to make his practice of medicine more mindful. In this conversation with EconTalk's Russ Roberts, Cifu explores the human side of medicine and the challenges of being a good doctor.