A Proposed Model about Physician-Patient Interaction according to Islamic Concepts

Physician-patient interaction plays a major role in diagnosis and treatment of diseases. This study aims at conceptual evaluation of this issue based on the Islamic attitude. It is in fact a documented, descriptive-analytical study investigating physician-patient interaction from Islamic concepts point of view. In doing so, the researchers referred to three Persian scientific databases, namely SID, Noormagz, and Magiran, and a foreign database; i.e., Google, and searched using the following 5 keywords: physician, patient, relation, Islam, and model. Library resources with Islamic ethics and medical ethics entries were also used. The results showed that physicians, either as the agent (a physician) or as a structure (medical institutions), inevitably have to identify their position as a 'mediator' between patients and God. The interactional framework of this mediating role is Islam’s ethical standards and Islamic shariaa. Therefore, 'transcendental reflexive' model is proposed in which reflexivity refers to the permanent presence of physicians in the Godly order in the Universe. Besides, transcendence refers to amending of attitude and behavior according to the shariaa concepts, which is the result of reflexivity. This framework minimizes the probability of imposing physical, material, and spiritual costs on patients. Thus, in the transcendental model, a physician not only assumes him/herself as a doctor, but s/he also finds him/herself in the presence of God having duties and responsibilities. The main outcomes of this understanding are acceptance of limitation of knowledge, being aware of the holiness of life, placement of interactional ethics in the shariaa framework, and finally achieving appropriate diagnosis and treatment for patients.