•  66
    Objective To study how doctors care for their patients, both medically and as fellow humans, through observing their conduct in patient–doctor encounters. Design Qualitative study in which 101 videotaped consultations were observed and analysed using a Grounded Theory approach, generating explanatory categories through a hermeneutical analysis of the taped consultations. Setting A 500-bed general teaching hospital in Norway. Participants 71 doctors working in clinical non-psychiatric departments…Read more
  •  12
    Psykiatrimaktens ordninger
    Agora Journal for metafysisk spekulasjon 25 (1-2): 444-447. 2007.
  •  22
    Sannhetens askese
    Agora Journal for metafysisk spekulasjon 24 (1-2): 447-450. 2006.
  •  12
    Hvor kommer de unormale fra?
    Agora Journal for metafysisk spekulasjon 23 (1-2): 233-236. 2005.
  •  66
    Choice is not the issue. The misrepresentation of healthcare in bioethical discourse
    with Kari Milch Agledahl and Reidun Førde
    Journal of Medical Ethics 37 (4): 212-215. 2011.
    Next SectionThe principle of respect for autonomy has shaped much of the bioethics' discourse over the last 50 years, and is now most commonly used in the meaning of respecting autonomous choice. This is probably related to the influential concept of informed consent, which originated in research ethics and was soon also applied to the field of clinical medicine. But while available choices in medical research are well defined, this is rarely the case in healthcare. Consideration of ordinary med…Read more
  •  49
    External and Internal Evidence in Clinical Judgment: The Evidence-Based Medicine Attitude
    Philosophy, Psychiatry, and Psychology 15 (2): 135-139. 2008.
    A certain kind of externalism—"the view from nowhere"—lies at the heart of evidence-based medicine (EBM). As a consequence, the individual case glides out of focus. However, to judge to what extent external knowledge is applicable to an individual case, the clinician has to rely on some sort of knowledge of the case at hand. The article focuses on the tension between the externalism of EBM and the "internal evidence" one has to presuppose when making clinical judgments.
  •  15
    Medicine-Based Values?
    Philosophy, Psychiatry, and Psychology 15 (2): 179-182. 2008.
    In lieu of an abstract, here is a brief excerpt of the content:Medicine-Based Values?Åge Wifstad (bio)KeywordsEthics committees, judgment, common moralityToulmin's DiagnosisIn his classical article with the unforgettable title "How medicine saved the life of ethics" (Toulmin 1982), Stephen Toulmin claims that medicine saved ethics by giving the philosophers a positive reality check through medical challenges: (1) Ethics in medicine is a serious topic, not just something to discuss at seminars. I…Read more
  •  81
    Clinical essentialising: a qualitative study of doctors' medical and moral practice (review)
    with Kari Milch Agledahl and Reidun Førde
    Medicine, Health Care and Philosophy 13 (2): 107-113. 2010.
    While certain substantial moral dilemmas in health care have been given much attention, like abortion, euthanasia or gene testing, doctors rarely reflect on the moral implications of their daily clinical work. Yet, with its aim to help patients and relieve suffering, medicine is replete with moral decisions. In this qualitative study we analyse how doctors handle the moral aspects of everyday clinical practice. About one hundred consultations were observed, and interviews conducted with fifteen …Read more