
Beyond drugs, beyond technology, there will always be the human element, "the healer's art." Dr. Cassell discusses the world of the sick, the healing connection and healer's battle, the role of omnipotence in the healer's art, illness and disease, and overcoming the fear of death. Eric J. Cassell, M.D., is an internist and clinical director of the Program for the Study of Ethics and Values in Medicine at Cornell Medical School. His two-volume work Talking with The Theory of Doctor-Patient Communication, and Clinical Technique, is available from The MIT Press in cloth and paperback.
How can the medical profession preserve the essential human connection between healer and patient in an era increasingly dominated by technology and pharmacological intervention? Dr. Eric J. Cassell, a clinical director at Cornell Medical School, draws upon his extensive experience as an internist to argue that the art of healing requires a profound understanding of the patient's subjective experience of illness rather than a focus solely on biological disease. He presents a framework that integrates clinical ethics, the psychological dimensions of suffering, and the necessity of empathy in professional practice.
What You Will Find
Scope Limits
Medical professionals and ethicists frequently cite this work as a foundational text for understanding the humanistic side of clinical practice. Readers often note the thoughtful, reflective nature of the prose, which balances academic rigor with a compassionate approach to patient care.
Page Count:
240
Publication Date:
1979-08-30
Publisher:
Penguin Books
ISBN-10:
0140052763
ISBN-13:
9780140052763
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