Nutshell Medical Summary: Professionalism and Ethics

Comprehensive practice flashcards covering medical professionalism, ethics, reflective models, consent, and medicolegal protocols based on the lecture transcript.

Sanctity of life

The professional concept involving the respect and maintenance of human life.

Compassion

Empathy combined with a strong desire to alleviate someone else's trouble or pain.

Pettiness

Sympathy associated with a feeling of sadness for someone; it is not considered a desirable character trait for doctors as it leads to a cumulative emotional burden.

Soberness

The personal quality of being mentally-balanced.

Imperturbability

A quality described by William Osler as calmness in crisis, coolness, and presence of mind under all circumstances.

Phytotherapy

A traditional medicine practice involving plant-based treatments.

Acupuncture

A culture-based medical practice where needles are inserted to balance body energy.

Homeopathy

A medical aspect involving the use of small doses of substances that cause symptoms similar to the ailment being treated.

Natural Science

A clinical field focused on studying phenomena related to the human body and health.

Modern Sciences

An integrated field combining physical sciences, biophysics, computer science, and organic chemistry for medical diagnosis and treatment.

Skeptical Professional Style

An overly cautious approach to medical practice based on the philosophy that it is 'better to worry than to be sorry'.

Right-brain thinker

A professional style where decisions are emotion-driven, often leading to more permissive or tolerant compliance with patient family desires.

Reflection

The process of thinking about experiences to learn from them, improve future actions, and understand emotions and outcomes.

Gibbs Reflective Cycle

A 6-step structured model for reflection consisting of: Description, Feelings, Evaluation, Analysis, Conclusion, and Action Plan.

Driscoll’s 3-Stage Reflective Model

A simple reflective framework based on three core questions: What?, So What?, and Now What?

Personal Development Plan (PDP)

A structured, personalized, and documented tool used by medical professionals to achieve improvements in knowledge, skills, and behavior.

$SMART$ criteria

A framework for defining learning goals that are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound.

Autonomy

The ethical principle of respecting the patient’s right to make decisions about their own body.

Non-Maleficence

The ethical principle commonly known as 'Do no harm', requiring doctors to refrain from unnecessary or risky treatments.

Beneficence

The ethical mandate to 'Do good' and act in the best interest of the patient.

Implied Consent

A type of consent inferred from the patient's actions, such as extending an arm for a blood draw.

Express Consent

An explicit agreement to medical treatment, either provided orally or in written form.

Against Medical Advice (AMA)

A form a patient signs to acknowledge they understand the risks of refusing treatment, providing legal protection for the provider.

Minimal Disclosure

The principle that when a breach of confidentiality is justified, info should only be shared with relevant authorities.

Palliative Care

Care focused on the relief of physical and psychosocial suffering in terminal illness, prioritizing comfort over cure.

Euthanasia

The 'mercy killing' of a patient with an incurable disease, divided into active (lethal drugs) and passive (withholding support).

Cultural Competence

The ability of healthcare providers to understand, communicate with, and effectively treat patients from diverse cultures.

Medical Malpractice

The failure of a healthcare provider to meet accepted standards of care, resulting in harm or death to the patient.

SPIKES Protocol

A 6-step framework for breaking bad news: Setting, Perception, Invitation, Knowledge, Empathy, and Strategy.

Autotransplantation

A medical procedure where tissue, such as a skin graft or bone marrow, is transplanted within the same body.

Brain Death

The irreversible loss of all brain function, including the brainstem, verified by an apnea test and a period of $26$ hours of observed coma.

Medicolegal Case (MLC)

An injury or illness that requires legal investigation to determine either criminal or civil liability.

Dying Declaration

The last statement made by a patient in a medicolegal case before death, which should be obtained by the physician if possible.

ABC rule of MLCs

A management guideline stands for: Accurate documentation, Blunt facts, and Chain of custody for evidence.

Differential Diagnosis

A clinical process of listing possible conditions ranked by probability based on favoring data and data against each condition.