In the article "The Patient" by Katie A. Thure, published in JAMA on April 18, 2024, the author reflects on the dehumanizing way medical professionals can sometimes refer to patients. Through recounting the hospitalization and subsequent death of her mother due to pneumonia and septic shock, Thure highlights the impact of clinical detachment and the common medical practice of reducing patients to clinical summaries. She criticizes the impersonal term "the patient" used by a doctor when discussing her mother's imminent death, and argues for the importance of maintaining personal identity in medical settings by using patients' names. This personal narrative underlines the need for empathy and human connection in healthcare practices, advocating for a more compassionate approach to patient care.
