Kevin W. Wildes

In the following viewpoint, Kevin W. Wildes argues that the traditional patient-physician relationship is becoming obsolete as scientific medicine evolves. According to Wildes, physicians were once seen as being better suited than their patients to make health care decisions. However, today, patients are better able to make informed health care decisions for themselves. Wildes concludes that the traditional patient-physician relationship will likely be replaced with newer models that recognize patient autonomy. Wildes is an associate professor of philosophy at Georgetown University in the District of Columbia.

As you read, consider the following questions:

1. How does Wildes define the older model of medicine?
2. According to the author, why has contemporary medicine been able to help people?
3. In Wildes’s opinion, what is the strength of the consumer model for patient-physician relationships"

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