Professionalism is directly tied to an individual's success as a
leader. Traits and characteristics of professionalism are important
in the effective leadership of medical organizations. Certain
behaviors associated with the term "professionalism" are considered
necessary and mandatory characteristics in the field of
medicine.
Additional aspirational behaviors are essential to those in
leadership positions. Demonstrated "virtues" of a true professional
include benevolence, honesty, fidelity, courage, compassion and
truthfulness.
AOA leaders should seek candidates for AOA leadership positions
who exemplify the following virtues and demonstrate the following
traits:
Virtues
Honesty
- Physicians must assure that patients are fully informed both
prior to treatment and after treatment has occurred.
- Leaders must deal with colleagues and those who report to them
in an honest, forthright and transparent fashion. This virtue also
requires that mistakes and other difficult topics are dealt with in
an honest, open fashion.
Altruism
- This characteristic is demonstrated by overt behavior that
shows a commitment to act in the best interests of the organization
and put personal or other popular interests aside.
- Demonstration of a personal integrity may be in the form of
putting professional responsibilities ahead of the pursuit of
private gain or advantage, either politically or financially. In an
era rife with hidden and potential conflicts of interest, an honest
review, assessment and disclosure of potential and real conflicts
of interest demonstrates true altruism.
"Heroic" behavior
- Demonstration of heroic behavior means standing up for what's
right and the betterment of society/medicine. This characteristic
in tandem with altruism assures that the physician should always
put the best interest and welfare of the patient ahead of personal
or financial gain. At times this may require self-sacrifice of the
physician. The patient must be able to trust and to expect that, in
the face of a difficult decision, the physician will put aside
his/her own self interest. This virtue is also demonstrated by
service to the indigent without any expectation of
compensation.
- Leaders exhibiting this set of principles in their daily
interactions also demonstrate such heroic behavior by consistently
supporting the "greater good."
Traits of Professionalism
Demonstrated commitment to competency both
in orthopaedic surgical care and in communication and
leadership.
- Physicians must strive to maintain and increase not only their
own expertise, but to be responsible for assuring that medical
professionals on their team are competent. Physicians also have a
duty to uphold science-based standards, promote research and ensure
the proper use of new knowledge and technology. A commitment to
professional responsibility in the form of collaboration to
maximize quality patient care, participation in self-regulation and
discipline of the profession, and effort in the development of
continuing education and standard-setting are hallmarks of this
characteristic. An essential part of this commitment is the ability
to understand and respond to the needs of an increasingly diverse
patient population.
- Commitment to competence in leadership means the conduct of
deliberate self-evaluation and the continuous pursuit of leadership
and communication skills development and improvement.
Maintenance of competence
- Maintenance of competence is defined as a physician's
continuous pursuit of self-improvement and life-long learning.
Physicians possess a specialized knowledge not easily understood by
the general public. This expertise is essential to a
well-functioning society and physicians must make a commitment to
continually increase this knowledge.
- Competence in leadership means that leaders must seek
leadership education and skills development to advance their
ability to lead.
Demonstrated commitment to improving patient
care
- Physicians must be committed to the perpetual improvement of
patient care, through participation in quality of care initiatives,
collaboration/teamwork to reduce medical errors and increase
patient safety, and utilization of mechanisms to optimize patient
outcomes. A parallel responsibility in this category is the pursuit
of true access to care - physicians must personally and
collectively work to reduce barriers to care and promote an
available, uniform and adequate standard of care.
- Leaders must use organizational and other external resources to
ultimately serve the best interests of the public.
Demonstrated leadership
- To justify societal trust a physician's "social contract" with
society includes three components:
- a fiduciary duty to both patients and colleagues,
- an economic duty to act responsibly to those individuals or
entities that pay for medical services,
- the broader duty to act in the best interest of societal health
and in the utilization of resources.
- Physicians must apply these same principles to their leadership
roles held in civil, social and professional organizations.
Proven ethical practice of medicine with public
accountability.
- The ability of medical professionals to self-regulate and
discipline those members who practice in an unethical way is key to
this characteristic and also key to the public's ability to trust
in physicians.
- A leader should have the ability to maintain and apply high
ethical standards in all facets of leadership, whether social,
civic or professional.
Approved by AOA Executive Committee on November 5, 2005
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