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Care, cure and interpersonal understanding.

G A Widdershoven
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Abstract

This article distinguishes two approaches within care theory, relating them to different views on the physician-patient relationship within philosophy of medicine. The first regards care as a skillful comportment by the care-giver, based upon intuitive insight into the needs of the care-receiver. The second regards care as a mutual endeavour, based upon openness and dialogue. The first approach resembles the interpretative model of the doctor-patient relationship; the second is parallel to the deliberative model. The two approaches within care theory and the two positions within philosophy of medicine are both expressions of a fundamental distinction between two different views of interpersonal understanding. This distinction is elaborated upon by discussing Gadamer's analysis of interpersonal understanding.

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CaregiversHumansInterpersonal RelationsNursing TheoryPhysician-Patient RelationsPhysiciansProfessional Patient RelationshipJournal Article

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G A Widdershoven. 1999. Care, cure and interpersonal understanding.. https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1365-2648.1999.00985.x

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