BACKGROUND Marital conflict and divorce are prevalent in our society, and patients frequently ask family physicians to assist them with marital difficulties. These difficulties are often associated with a decline in health, resulting in additional stress to the marital unit. METHODS A MEDLINE search was undertaken using the key words "family medicine," "marital therapy," "marital counseling,"...

Central to the success of clinical improvement programs is the degree to which hospitals and physicians can work together to achieve mutually beneficial goals. The purpose of this article is to provide a clear understanding of what is ultimately required for hospitals and physicians to form constructive relationships that deliver greater value to the marketplace.

In any clinical encounter, an effective physician-patient relationship is necessary for achieving the desired outcome. This outcome is successful treatment, and therefore, the relationship should be a healing one. In addition, in the Islamic view, the physician is a manifestation of God's healing attribute, which is usually undermined in everyday therapeutic communications. Yet there are few em...

People should think things out fresh and not just accept conventional terms and the conventional way of way of doing things. In 2003 the Seattle based retailer, Nordstrom, opened a new store on Chicago's trendy North Michigan Avenue. Unlike the department stores of old that carried a vast array of consumer goods, the new Nordstrom is a large shoe store, accompanied by a number of small cosmetic...

T hroughout the summer, federal plans for healthcare reform continued to stall, to the chagrin of many in the healthcare and policy communities. Even within the Clinton administration, the tension was apparent between the desire to forge ahead and the need to wait for a politically appropriate moment to unveil the health reform planafter the president's economic package and budget have passed. ...