Asking for forgiveness may be oppressive to a patient or family still grappling with the fact of the harm, the impact of the harm, and their own emotional response to the harm.
You are not just the rural patient’s doctor, you are the doctor for the football team, a friend, and perhaps a relative; you speak on health at local schools and are expected to attend fundraisers.
If a patient’s feelings become sources of resistance to treatment, clinicians need to know how to address these feelings’ influence on the therapeutic capacity of patient-clinician relationships.
AMA J Ethics. 2017; 19(5):436-443. doi:
10.1001/journalofethics.2017.19.5.ecas3-1705.
The graphic novel Swallow Me Whole highlights the need for patient-centered care that engages not only patients but also extended family and the community.
AMA J Ethics. 2018; 20(2):148-153. doi:
10.1001/journalofethics.2018.20.2.ecas3-1802.
Geoff Hollett, PhD and Jennie B. Jarrett, PharmD, PhD, MMedEd
The Strategic National Stockpile is a national system maintained by the US federal government to deliver medical supplies during emergencies, and it needs administrative changes.
AMA J Ethics. 2024; 26(4):E315-320. doi:
10.1001/amajethics.2024.315.