Tips on Measuring Medical Professionalism

Abstract

Patients who are confident of physicians' intellectual and technical abilities are sometimes not convinced of their professional behaviour. Systemic and anecdotal cases of physician misconduct, conflict of interest, and self-interest abound. Many have even come to mistrust physicians as patient advocates. How can patients trust the intellectual and technical aspects of medical care, but not the professional? In order to enhance and promote professionalism in medicine, one should expect it, encourage it, and evaluate it. By measuring their own professional behaviour, physicians can provide the kind of transparency with which they can regain the trust of patients and society. Not only patients, but also institutions which accredit organizations have demanded accountability of physicians in their professional behaviour. While there has been much lament, and a few strong proposals for improving professionalism, no single reliable and valid measure of the success of these proposals exists. This book is a theory-to-practice text focused on ways to evaluate professional behaviour written by leaders in the field of medical education and assessment. A framework for measuring professionalism / David Thomas Stern -- What is medical professionalism? / Louise Arnold and David Thomas Stern -- Ethics, law, and professionalism: what physicians need to know / Audiey Kao -- Using standardized clinical encounters to assess physician communication / Debra Klamen and Reed Williams -- The assessment of moral reasoning and professionalism in medical education and practice / DeWitt C. Baldwin Jr. and Donnie J. Self -- Using surveys to assess professionalism in individuals and institutions / DeWitt C. Baldwin Jr. and Steven R. Daugherty -- Measuring specific elements of professionalism: empathy, teamwork, and lifelong learning / Jon Veloski and Mohmmmedreza Hojat -- Faculty observations of student professional behavior / John Norcini. Using critical incident reports and longitudinal observations to assess professionalism / Maxine Papadakis and Helen Loeser -- Content and context of peer assessment / Louise Arnold and David Thomas Stern -- Using reflection and rhetoric to understand professional behaviors / Shiphra Ginsburg and Lorelei Lingard -- The use of portfolios to assess professionalism / Kelly Fryer-Edwards, Linda E. Pinsky, and Lynne Robins -- Admission to medical school: selecting applicants with the potential for professionalism / Norma E. Wagoner -- Assessing professionalism for accreditation / Dierdre C. Lynch, David C. Leach, and Patricia M. Surdyk -- Measuring professionalism: a commentary / Fred Hafferty.