Listen to ASCO’s Journal of Clinical Oncology essay, “Market, Gift, Everyday Ethics, and Emmanuel Levinas in Patient Care” by Alan Astrow, Chief of the Hematology and Medical Oncology division at the New York Presbyterian Brooklyn Methodist Hospital.
TRANSCRIPT
Dr. Lidia Schapira: Hello, and welcome to JCO's Cancer Stories: The Art of Oncology, which features essays and personal reflections from authors exploring their experience in the field of oncology. I'm your host, Dr. Lidia Schapira, Associate Editor for Art of Oncology and a Professor of Medicine at Stanford University. Today we are joined by Dr. Alan Astrow, Chief of the Hematology and Medical Oncology division at the New York Presbyterian Brooklyn Methodist Hospital. In this episode, we will be discussing his Art of Oncology article, "Market, Gift, Everyday Ethics, and the Emmanuel Levinas in Patient Care."
At the time of this recording, our guest has no disclosures.
Alan, welcome to our podcast, and thank you for joining us.
Dr. Alan Astrow: Thank you for inviting me.
Dr. Lidia Schapira: Your article has a very long title, and we've got Markets and Gifts and Ethics and a philosopher. So let's start by helping our listeners and maybe our readers to really understand the intention of this essay. What is the message of the essay?
Dr. Alan Astrow: The message of the essay is that we need to be reflecting and be mindful of the values that underlie medical care as we practice every day.
Dr. Lidia Schapira: And if I were to quiz you a little bit on that and push a little bit, what are those values? And how does perhaps market conflict with ethics and mission?
Dr. Alan Astrow: Trust, caring, honesty, thoroughness, dedication to the patient, focus on the patient and the patient's needs. The problem with market or the danger of market is that it can sometimes distract us from focusing on the patient and that patient's needs.
Dr. Lidia Schapira: So how would you respond to somebody who says, but we need organization, we need markets and finances in order to have a system that provides health care? Where do you see the front of conflict, perhaps between those who are more mission-driven, as you've just beautifully articulated and have the trust in the patient's care front and center, and those who are more concerned with the productiveness and efficiency in collections?
Dr. Alan Astrow:
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