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World J Clin Urol. Nov 24, 2013; 2(3): 42-45
Published online Nov 24, 2013. doi: 10.5410/wjcu.v2.i3.42
Published online Nov 24, 2013. doi: 10.5410/wjcu.v2.i3.42
Professionalism and patient education in urologic surgery
C J Stimson, Roger R Dmochowski, Department of Urologic Surgery, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232-0001, United States
Author contributions: Stimson CJ and Dmochowski RR contributed equally and substantially to the conception, design, drafting, revising, and approval of this work for publication.
Correspondence to: Roger R Dmochowski, Professor, Department of Urologic Surgery, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, A-1302 Medical Center North, Nashville, TN 37232-0001, United States. roger.dmochowski@vanderbilt.edu
Telephone: +1-615-3225000 Fax: +1-615-3228990
Received: June 29, 2013
Revised: August 2, 2013
Accepted: September 14, 2013
Published online: November 24, 2013
Processing time: 170 Days and 20 Hours
Revised: August 2, 2013
Accepted: September 14, 2013
Published online: November 24, 2013
Processing time: 170 Days and 20 Hours
Core Tip
Core tip: Medical professionalism provides the guidelines that govern the patient-physician relationship. This implicit contract requires that patients be educated regarding their diagnostic and treatment decisions. Shared decision-making is a recent paradigm shift in patient education that allows patients to make decisions based both on the counsel of their physicians and according to their own preferences and values. To promote adherence to the educational responsibility inherent in medical professionalism, we recommend physician payment reform that rewards physicians for time spent with patients rather than the volume of patients seen.