Professional Documents
Culture Documents
• I will consume a balanced and nutritious diet. • Awareness – Public expressions of The Patient
Though clinicians have largely overcome smoking, they
Promise – such as white coat lapel pins or waiting
now often succumb to the same lifestyle-associated
• I will refrain from the use of harmful substances. room wall hangings – provide a natural way for
chronic diseases that their patients do; for example,
clinicians and patients to discuss lifestyle-associated
approximately one in four physicians is obese and one
• I will diminish personal stressors and look after my mental well-being. chronic disease.
in three is overweight. Mounting evidence shows that
this not only adversely affects the health and • I will encourage my patient to adopt these healthy lifestyle behaviors. • Advocacy – Once The Patient Promise has spread
performance of the individual clinician; it also
widely among healthcare professionals, healthy-
negatively affects the doctor-patient relationship due to • I will work alongside my patient as a partner in this journey. minded clinicians will be able to work towards
serious issues such as lack of credibility and less
improvements that make healthy living easier.
likelihood of encouraging patients to address lifestyle • I will identify and guard myself from potential prejudices against my patient based on unhealthy behaviors,
behaviors. Recent evidence includes: recognizing the often complex origins of these habits.
• I will respect and seek to understand the beliefs and traditions of my patient that affect his or her health. Acknowledgements
• I will do my part to promote healthy lifestyle behaviors within my community. We are grateful for the tremendous support of our
advisors at and beyond Johns Hopkins. In particular we
Recognizing that enduring change of this nature requires time and continual reinforcement, I make this promise freely would like to thank Dean Thomas Koenig, Dean Sarah
and upon my honor to myself and to my patient. Clever, Dr. Erica Frank, Dr. Eric Bass, The Office of Student
Affairs, and the Osler Center for Clinical Excellence.