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Robert W. Cantrell, MD

Arch Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2008;134(3):237-240.

	Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text and any section headings.

Physicians have suffered a significant reduction in the prestige and respect that they once enjoyed. There are many reasons for this: the commercialization of the practice of medicine; the surrender of control of the physician-patient relationship to insurance companies, health maintenance organizations, and other business entities; and the increasingly high cost of delivering medical care. Even when most of the increased costs are driven by drug, hospital, laboratory, and radiological fees, these are perceived by many patients as "doctor bills." To maintain viable practices, physicians must increase their patient volume and spend less time with each, which contributes to the diminution of physicians in the eyes of the public and the changed image of our calling as a business rather than a profession. With an increasingly cynical, testy, and confrontational populace exemplified by the behavior on both sides of the political spectrum during election campaigns, we . . . [Full Text of this Article]

GIVING ADVICE


ETHICS

HUMILITY

TALKING TO PATIENTS

HUMOR

PRIORITIES

AUTHOR INFORMATION