The Physician
Abstract
In Western culture, human medicine has evolved as a healing profession, and as
such, it is oriented toward curing sick people, caring for sick people, preventing
maladies, and promoting health. This orientation is primarily centered around
the healing relationship, a relationship that is usually thought of as a dyadic
structure, comprising the physician and the patient. Venerable terms such
as “the physician-patient relationship” and “the doctor-patient interaction”
reflect this view. A closer look at the structure of a healing relationship reveals, however,
that it is more complex than a dyadic structure. For the doctor is not the only
determinant of the healing relationship. There are additional components that
shape it and its success or failure. Among these components are, for example,
the physician’s assistants and the patient’s family members. This complex,
polyadic healing structure with its function, effects, and defects will be the
subject of our concern in the next chapter. It embraces the physician as one of
its most important components.