I had the opportunity to speak with my mentor, physician Rachel Naomi Remen, author of Kitchen Table Wisdom and founder of The Healer’s Art program, which is the only education on true healing offered in medical schools globally. During our conversation, Rachel shared her insight on how to heal our broken healthcare system. She emphasized the importance of doctors standing up against a corrupt system that prioritizes profit over patient well-being. Rachel suggested that doctors must be willing to go on strike to bring attention to the need for a system that puts patient care first.
However, Rachel acknowledged that most doctors have a strong sense of compassion and struggle with the idea of causing harm to patients, even if it is for the greater good of creating a better healthcare system. The Hippocratic Oath we take to “First, do no harm” makes it difficult for us to fathom the idea of someone suffering or dying as a result of our protests for better healthcare practices.
Selling out to a system that values profit over patient safety can lead to what is known as moral injury. This moral injury can manifest as symptoms of burnout, which includes mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual exhaustion. Soldiers and doctors alike may find themselves conflicted between following orders and their own moral compass. This internal struggle can lead to feelings of helplessness, loss of purpose, cynicism, and even physical ailments.
Preventable medical errors have become a leading cause of death in the U.S., highlighting the moral dilemmas faced by healthcare providers. The prioritization of financial goals over safety measures has eroded the genuine relationships between healthcare providers and their patients. In the past, doctors knew their patients intimately, but now, time constraints and profit-driven systems have led to rushed appointments and decreased quality of care.
As healthcare professionals, we enter this field with the intention of serving and protecting our patients. However, the current system often forces us to prioritize profit over patient safety, leading to moral injury and burnout. It is crucial for healthcare providers to advocate for a system that values patient well-being above all else, even if it means standing up against a corrupt healthcare system.
