Letter to the Editor: Full Integration of Teaching ‘Medical Humanities’ in the Medical Curriculum: The Challenge of the Florence Medical School

Mankind has always longed to preserve and improve health. However, inherent in the practice of medicine lies the possibility of danger. Overlying the problem is the role of the medical profession, the skills it proclaims to profess and its relationship with the patient. Members of the medical profession are often criticized for overriding the wishes of the patient or for acting without informed consent. The role of informed consent is one of the great challenges to the ethics and practice of modern medicine. The aim of this letter is to point out how education in Medical Humanities can enhance physicians’ education and facilitate a differ- ent approach towards the relationship with the patient. Medicine began by espousing a paternalistic attitude towards medical treatments, which were continued in spite of the patient’s disapproval or ignorance. In recent times the concept of informed consent, based on information given to the patient regarding the means of treatment, its benefits and risks, has come to the fore. Very often, however, the patient may not clearly understand the situation, due to the inaccessibility of medical language to the great majority of the population.