The Doctor-Patient Relationship in Hippocratic Medicine

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There are two distinctive paradigms of the physician role in medical care. The reigning paradigm is a utilitarian Provider of Services Model where the physician is obligated to do or perform whatever is requested by the state or by the patient. In sharp contrast, the Hippocratic paradigm requires the physician to “do no harm” regardless of who is requesting that harm be done. It is important to understand these different philosophical paradigms in order to work meaningfully within them.