傳統中醫倫理及其對當代醫師職業制度的啟示

Abstract

LANGUAGE NOTE | Document text in Chinese; abstract also in English.醫療保障不僅需要制度依據，也需要文化底蘊的支撐。傳統中醫倫理蘊含著醫者仁心、精勤不倦的處世道德規範，敬畏生命、人命至重的人道主義精神，公平待人、博施濟眾的普世價值學說，智圓行方、求平執中的整體和諧理論，道生德養、志存救濟的大義博愛觀。這些內容對於當代醫療保障的建設尤其是當代醫師職業制度建設和發展具有重要的借鑒價值，因而是我們不應忽視的文化資源。To establish appropriate medical professionalism in contemporary China, institutional construction, reform and development are certainly necessary. However, they must be conducted by drawing on relevant cultural ideas and values to gain support. In particular, traditional Chinese medical culture and ethics contain a great amount of intellectual and moral resources that are useful for the construction and development of contemporary Chinese medical professionalism. This essay attempts to explore such resources and make relevant recommendations.Traditional Chinese medical culture is informed by Confucian ethical concerns and commitments. It requires that the physician must have a benevolent heart to treat the patient and a diligent mind to pursue health care knowledge. At the same time, the physician must hold reverence for life and appreciate the vital importance of human life. In addition, Confucian culture expects the physician to be fair in treating different kinds of patients and their families, and to be generous in attempting to help people. In the process of providing medical treatment, physicians’ personal integrity and an attitude for pursuing harmonious outcomes (among patient, family and physician) are emphasized. Finally, the Confucian notions of righteousness and fraternity refer to the view that physicians should engage in serious cultivation of virtue so that they may form a firm moral aspiration to help others and be honored to conduct noble actions in helping others. Accordingly, when we attempt to set up effective health care institutions and establish proper contemporary medical professionalism, these traditional values and commitments should be studied and drawn upon.Based on these considerations, the final part of the essay puts forward four suggestions for rebuilding a proper Chinese physician profession. First, the government should provide a reasonable income and effective security for physicians, not only to supervise but also to protect their legitimate interests in providing health care services to the public. Second, pubic hospital administrators should pay attention to physicians’ personal interests and their work conditions, to provide a feasible working environment for them to treat patients effectively. Third, physicians should understand that although the external environment can never be perfect, they should discipline themselves by ensuring good professional, interpersonal and psychological standards in providing health care services to the people. Finally, physicians must recognize that as professionals, they are expected to hold proper virtues and a benevolent heart to overcome their personal difficulties, whatever they are, to treat patients and their families in virtuous and benevolent ways.DOWNLOAD HISTORY | This article has been downloaded 361 times in Digital Commons before migrating into this platform.