Producing more effective physician leaders through medical training: Expanding the focus beyond the doctor-patient relationship

TL;DR

The paper argues that medical training should include more ethics focused on justice to help physicians become better leaders and advocates in healthcare organizations.

Contribution

The paper introduces the need to incorporate the principle of justice into medical ethics training for improved leadership and resource allocation advocacy.

Findings

Current medical ethics training emphasizes doctor-patient principles but neglects justice.

Including justice in training can improve physicians' ability to advocate and participate in organizational decisions.

Physicians need to engage in resource allocation discussions to be effective leaders.

Abstract

Most of what physicians learn in their training when it comes to ethics focuses on the principles related to the doctor-patient relationship: beneficence, non-maleficence, and autonomy. At a system level, this translates into an obligation for physicians to advocate for their patients based on these principles. Advocacy does not necessarily have answers when resources are scarce, and as a result, physicians often find that they are not “at the table” when important decisions are made at the organizational level. I will argue that for physicians to be more effective leaders within their organizations, there needs to be more of a focus on principle of justice within medical training, specifically when it comes to theories around resource allocation and social justice. This will help physicians to more effectively advocate for their patients, have conversations with health leaders who have different points of view, and participate in organizational decision-making.

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