The Phenomenology of the Face-to-Facetime: A Levinasian Critique of the Virtual Clinic.
J Med Philos
; 49(2): 207-219, 2024 Mar 14.
Article
en En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-38418092
ABSTRACT
In order to promote social distancing during the recent COVID-19 pandemic, physicians and healthcare systems have made efforts to replace in-person with virtual clinic visits when feasible. While these efforts have been well received and seem compatible with sound clinical practice, they do not perfectly replicate the experience of a face-to-face exchange between doctor and patient. This essay attempts to describe features of the virtual visit that distinguish it from its face-to-face analog and considers the phenomenological work of Emmanuel Levinas in arguing that these differences may limit the force of the ethical summons a provider would otherwise experience before the face of a patient. The diminishment of this signal therapeutic experience may engender vocational as well as clinical consequences, which should be weighed against the practical benefits of the virtual visit as we consider whether our enthusiasm for this mode of practice should continue.
Palabras clave
Texto completo:
1
Banco de datos:
MEDLINE
Asunto principal:
Médicos
/
Telemedicina
/
Aplicaciones Móviles
/
COVID-19
Límite:
Humans
Idioma:
En
Revista:
J Med Philos
Año:
2024
Tipo del documento:
Article
País de afiliación:
Estados Unidos