5 Topic Commentaries

Achieving Excellence by Treating People, Not Patients

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  Francis W. Peabody, MD

  Physician, Thorndike Memorial Laboratory, Boston City Hospital

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  Boston City Hospital (Thorndike Memorial Laboratory)

  One of the essential qualities of the clinician is an interest in humanity, for the secret of the care of the patient is in caring for the patient.

  [Source]
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  Sir William Osler, MD

  Physician-in-Chief, Johns Hopkins Hospital; Professor of Medicine

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  Johns Hopkins Medicine

  The good physician treats the disease; the great physician treats the patient who has the disease.

  [Source]
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  William J. Mayo, MD

  Co-founder

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  Mayo Clinic

  The best interest of the patient is the only interest to be considered, and in order that the sick may have the benefit of advancing knowledge, union of forces is necessary.

  [Source]
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  Michael J. Barry, MD

  Internist; John D. Stoeckle Center for Primary Care Innovation (affiliation on publication)

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  Massachusetts General Hospital

  The most important attribute of patient-centered care is the active engagement of patients when fateful health care decisions must be made — when they arrive at a crossroads of medical options, where diverging paths have different and important consequences.

  [Source]
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  Ivan Maillard, MD, PhD

  Head, Division of Hematologic Malignancies; Leukemia Specialist & Physician-Scientist

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  Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center

  I enjoy the challenge of figuring out how to take care of the person, not just the disease.

  [Source]