In order to offer medical care that is safe, successful, patient-centered, prompt, practical, and fair, professionalism is essential. Through oaths and standards, the fundamental principles of medical professionalism are profoundly ingrained in the historical setting. Numerous studies, such as the one by Bhardwaj (2022), have shown that unprofessional actions by healthcare professionals have a negative effect on health outcomes. These include an increase in infections, readmission rates, health complications, client financial and mental damage, exposure to medical malpractice, reduced job satisfaction, and higher staff turnover among team members (Bhardwaj, 2022). As a result, professionalism in healthcare is an integral element that focuses on the creation of safe conditions and the provision of quality care.
Professionalism has been a cornerstone of clinical practice since the days of Hippocrates, acting as the foundation of medicine’s connection to society. This unofficial understanding was revived in the 1990s when experts in the medical establishment outlined a more sophisticated set of ethical principles and performance expectations that have to be met in the provision of clinical therapy (Bhardwaj, 2022). These critical components have gradually been integrated into undergraduate and graduate education and training. This took place along with a focus on appropriate professional behavior and the advancement of moral guidelines for the efficient and safe provision of clinical treatment in addition to actions in the public sphere (Poorchangizi et al., 2019). Benevolence, reliability, accountability, the pursuit of excellence, understanding of responsibility, autonomy, truthfulness, righteousness and honesty, cooperation, compassion for others, ongoing learning and progress, and humility make up the essential elements of this paradigm for professionalism (Bhardwaj, 2022). As a result, when looking at professionalism, it is first necessary to consider the main aspects maintained since antiquity.
However, professionalism must be reviewed in terms of the association’s guidelines. For example, according to the Association of American Medical Colleges, professionalism is essential for becoming a qualified doctor (Forouzadeh et al., 2018). Professionalism is built on three pillars: medical competence, communication abilities, and ethical awareness (Forouzadeh et al., 2018). This concept highlights the fact that competence is a collection of attitudes and behaviors among medical professionals, including three fundamental principles. The first is the patient’s welfare and order of importance. This philosophy is centered on a dedication to the needs of the patients, with altruism serving as a critical element that improves the doctor-patient interaction (Forouzadeh et al., 2018). Another pillar, client independence, implies a situation when doctors must honor their clients’ personal freedom, be open and honest with them, and provide them with the information they need to make an educated decision about their therapy (Forouzadeh et al., 2018). Social fairness is the last pillar and claims that the medical community should support healthcare system fairness, which entails the equitable allocation of medical resources (Forouzadeh et al., 2018). Therefore, associations emphasize the interpersonal aspects of medical professionalism.
Hence, professionalism in healthcare is a critical component that emphasizes the construction of secure environments and the delivery of high-quality care. Since the time of Hippocrates, professionalism has been a tenet of clinical practice and the basis of medicine’s relationship with society. The fundamental components of this professional paradigm include generosity, dependability, accountability, the pursuit of excellence, understanding of duty, autonomy, truthfulness, righteousness, honesty, cooperation, compassion for others, constant learning and improvement, and humility. Associations claim that the three pillars of medical competency, communication skills, and ethical awareness form the foundation of professionalism.
References
Bhardwaj A. (2022). Medical professionalism in the provision of clinical care in healthcare organizations. Journal of Healthcare Leadership, 14, 183–189. Web.
Forouzadeh, M., Kiani, M., & Bazmi, S. (2018). Professionalism and its role in the formation of medical professional identity. Medical Journal of the Islamic Republic of Iran, 32, 130. Web.
Poorchangizi, B., Borhani, F., Abbaszadeh, A., Mirzaee, M., & Farokhzadian, J. (2019). The importance of professional values from nursing students’ perspective. BMC Nursing, 18, 26. Web.