SCIAS meets Schelling-Forum: In the face of death - doctor-patient communication in the past and today

Between expectations of a cure and fears of death - doctors have always had to communicate serious diagnoses to patients. But what does a successful doctor-patient relationship actually look like? How can doctors communicate even complex treatment attempts appropriately to their patients? How do they deal with patients' fears and worries? And what can we learn from history about the relationship between doctors and patients?

In this event, Michael Stolberg first takes a look at history and examines the interactions between doctors and patients in the 16th and 17th centuries. He draws heavily on letters in which the sick or their relatives asked an experienced doctor for advice and therefore described the clinical picture and previous attempts at treatment. Thousands of such letters have been catalogued since 2009 in the Würzburg academy project "Frühneuzeitliche Ärztebriefe", which will complete its work at the end of 2024. Maria-Elisabeth Goebeler will then talk about contemporary practices in the doctor-patient relationship. In particular, she will explore the question of how doctors communicate with patients against the backdrop of increasingly complex treatments. Eva-Bettina Bröcker will then join Stolberg and Goebeler to discuss the doctor-patient relationship in the past and today - and we would be delighted to discuss this with you.

Speakers

Prof. Dr. med. Dr. phil. Michael Stolberg was Head of the Institute for the History of Medicine at the University of Würzburg from 2004 and has been Senior Professor for the History of Medicine at the Centre for Philology and Digitality there since April 2024.

Dr. med. Maria-Elisabeth Goebeler is Head Senior Physician of the Interdisciplinary Study Centre with ECTU and Deputy Chair of the Medical Ethics Committee at Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg.

Prof. Dr. Eva-Bettina Bröcker is Professor Emeritus of Dermatology and Venereology. From 1992 to 2011, she was Director of the Department of Dermatology at the University of Würzburg. She is a member of the Bavarian Academy of Sciences and Humanities and the Coordination Committee of the Schelling Forum as well as a member of the SCIAS Board of Directors.

Participation

The participation is free of charge. Please register via Buchungsportal des Schelling-Forums. This event will take place in German.
If you have questions, please contact E-Mail an das Schelling-Forum or scias-office@uni-wuerzburg.de.