The physician

pp. 273-274

in: Kazem Sadegh-Zadeh, Handbook of analytic philosophy of medicine, Berlin, Springer, 2012

Abstract

In Western culture, human medicine has evolved as a healing profession, and as such, it is oriented toward curing sick people, caring for sick people, preventing maladies, and promoting health. This orientation is primarily centered around the healing relationship , a relationship that is usually thought of as a dyadic structure, comprising the physician and the patient. Venerable terms such as "the physician-patient relationship " and "the doctor-patient interaction " reflect this view.