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The Obligation Of Physicians To Medical Outliers: A Kantian And Hegelian Synthesis, Thomas J. Papadimos, Alan P. Marco

Anesthesiology Faculty Publications

Background

Patients who present to medical practices without health insurance or with serious co-morbidities can become fiscal disasters to those who care for them. Their consumption of scarce resources has caused consternation among providers and institutions, especially as it concerns the amount and type of care they should receive. In fact, some providers may try to avoid caring for them altogether, or at least try to limit their institutional or practice exposure to them.

Discussion

We present a philosophical discourse, with emphasis on the writings of Immanuel Kant and G.F.W. Hegel, as to why physicians have the moral imperative to …