Crisis of Critical Care, Perspective of the Clinician

Abstract

The target article correctly observes that practical solutions to the current crisis in critical care require a reexamination of the concept of medical professionalism. A key question for all healthcare providers to ask is whether they consider their work to be a calling or simply a job. Understanding medical work as a calling helps to clarify the concept of critical care and entails that patients’ interests should be prioritized over the interests of medical personnel. At the same time, medical professionalism is enhanced when medical personnel are treated with respect rather than coerced into doing their work. This commentary argues that dedication to others (i.e. altruism) is the starting point of medicine and that policies that enhance this dedication are needed to solve the current crisis of critical care.