Persuasive Essay On The Hippocratic Oath

The Hippocratic oath has principles that have been upheld by healthcare providers for ages, regardless of the values presented within. There are a plethora of ideals suggested throughout the oath that could definitely be questioned with careful examination. In this essay, I will argue that the Hippocratic oath should be removed as a central medical ethic until it is updated to meet the contemporary medical requirements, because the majority of the values which are instilled within, display antiquity that could be easily reversed with a modern revision.

Although the Hippocratic oath has many restrictive, ancient attributes that pose as an issue for the modern practitioner, there are statements within that can be updated. There are values that are still exercised today that play a role in contemporary medical practices that are demonstrated throughout the oath. For instance, the Hippocratic oath definitely portrayed the confidentiality value. It states, “what I may see or hear in the course of the treatment or even outside of the treatment in regard to the life of men, which on no account one must spread abroad, I will keep to myself, holding such things shameful to be spoken about” (CITATION). This statement undoubtedly should remain exercised throughout contemporary healthcare. In healthcare today, confidentiality is persistently addressed because of the importance of the privacy of a patient. LOOK IN THE BOOK. Another value in which the Hippocratic oath addresses would be fairness. As said in the oath, “whatever houses I may visit, I will come for the benefit of the sick, remaining free of all intentional injustice” (CITATION). It should be implemented in to the standards of every hospital procedure in the contemporary medical ...

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...ard from a philosophical standpoint. This, in turn, does not justify the reasoning behind the values or why the Hippocratic oath matters at all. Although idealistic, the oath does not provide specific guidance for health care providers. It remains incredibly vague and broad, which makes it difficult to follow the guidelines within. The statement, “I will apply dietetic measures for the benefit of the sick according to ability and judgment,” falls short of explaining what the measures entail. Additionally, the entirety of the oath remains wide-ranging to the totality of the medical field. Although it is beneficial to have a single oath for health care providers, it is becoming more difficult to be specific to division of medical practice. There are simply too many social roles of health care providers today that require more of a précis ethical approach to medicine.