Health with care and respect

The humanisation of medicine pays attention to the needs and well-being of patients and develops the doctor-patient relationship based on respect and empathy.

The humanisation of medicine is a needed change in today's medicine, as a focus on empathy and patient care ensures better quality of care and better treatment outcomes. This makes patients feel listened to and understood, which has a positive impact on their experience of illness and treatment. Humanising medicine also enables better communication and collaboration between patients and doctors, leading to more balanced and effective treatment.

Humanising medicine is the practice of treating patients with empathy and care, taking into account their individual needs and experiences. It means listening to patients, providing emotional support and treating them with respect and dignity. It also means taking into account the needs of the patient not only medically, but also psychologically and emotionally.

Patient wellbeing is a comprehensive concept that encompasses everything that is beneficial to a patient's health and wellbeing. It is a very broad concept that includes not only the physical aspects of health, but also the mental, emotional and spiritual aspects. The wellbeing of the patient is always paramount and should be the primary goal of medical care. This means that doctors and other healthcare professionals should always strive to provide patients with the best possible care that meets their individual needs. To this end, good communication and cooperation between patients and doctors and other healthcare professionals is essential.

The two models of relationships in healthcare are:

Personalistic (father model) - in this model, the doctor or other medical personnel decide the fate of the patient by imposing certain forms of treatment and therapy. This model is strongly rooted in tradition and has been used for a long time.
Partnership - this model assumes that the patient and the doctor are on an equal footing, and that they cooperate and co-determine treatment modalities. The patient is treated as a full partner in the treatment process.

Both models have their advantages and disadvantages, and the choice of the appropriate relationship model depends on the individual needs and preferences of the patient and the situation of the specific medical case.

Humanisation of medicine

Empathy and respect in medicine

Humanising medicine is an empathetic approach to patients and healthcare professionals that improves the quality of care and patient outcomes. It is a needed change in medicine to make it more humane and focus on the well-being of patients.

Knowledge base

The humanisation of medicine is the process of ensuring the highest standards of healthcare services and improving the relationship between patient and doctor, based on medical ethics, patient rights and interpersonal communication. The goal of humanisation is always the welfare of the patient. Let us strive to spread this definition.

Revd Dr Arkadiusz Nowak

Medicine and the medical profession are characterised by unique features that are referred to as medical culture. In their definitions, they combine three elements:
1. base action on the best advances in knowledge and skills in all areas that can be useful in maintaining health and saving lives.
2. organising the practice of medical care to ensure access and implementation of recommendations by all sick people on the basis of prioritising ethics and humanism before the criterion of financial gain.
3. integrating objective biological and technical knowledge with the spirituality of the sufferings and hopes of those who are ill

Prof. Jan Tatoń - Culture of the medical profession in the 21st century

From its inception, medicine grew out of humanistic thinking about man, placing his well-being at the centre of its core values. This was independent of existing philosophical orientations or historical conditions. This principle shaping attitudes towards every human being without distinction remains the fundamental idea of humanism in medicine.

Janina Suchorzewska - Humanization of medicine. theoretical and practical aspects of teaching humanities subjects at medical universities.( 2011)

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