Richard, M.

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The Linacre QuarterlyVolume 18 | Number 2 Article 35-1-1951The Medical Social Worker's Contribution to TotalPatient CareM. RichardFollow this and additional works at: https://epublications.marquette.edu/lnqPart of the Ethics and Political Philosophy Commons, and the Medicine and Health SciencesCommonsRecommended CitationRichard, M. (1951) "The Medical Social Worker's Contribution to Total Patient Care," The Linacre Quarterly: Vol. 18 : No. 2 , Article 3.Available at: https://epublications.marquette.edu/lnq/vol18/iss2/3. l '; 4y ,, 34 TIIE 1 .• INACRE QUARTERLY Medical Ethics Books Some Recommendations for Doctors Gerald Kelly, S.J. THE BOOK LISTS given here are an answer to frequent requests. The comments are added because the requests arc . generally for recommendations, not merely for lists. Since I am including comments, I am limiting the lists to publications with which I am personally familiar. The comments express my personal op1mon. Others might choose different books for a recommended list and might also give different estimates of the works that I include here. It would be very helpful, I think, if they would send their suggestions to the Editor of LINACRE QUARTERLY for publ icat ion  in some future number. For the most part, my lists are limited to fairly recent publica­tions, that is, to the last ten or fifteen years. No doubt some earlit·r works are still gf great value. Nevertheles·s, my purpose is not lo give an exhaustive bibliography for research, but a limited biblio�­raphy for practical purposes; and I think that everything of practical value in the older works is sufficiently included in these more recent publications. In recommending these works I am not expressing agreernc11t with everything said in them. Practically every book listed here contains some points with which various theologians might dis­agree. My own views and criticisms are sufficiently expressed i11 other places. The main purpose of the present comments is to indicate the positive value of the publications mentioned. A. Minimum Essentials. The Following Works Should Be Availa­ble to Every Catholic Member of the Medical Profession:1. Ethical and Religious Directives for Catholic Hospitals.The Catholic Hospital Association, 1438 South Grand Boulevard, St. Louis 4, Mo. THE LINACRE QUARTERLY 35 This is the revised code sponsored by the Catholic Hospital .Association of the United States and Canada and published in 1949. A French version, entitled Code de Morale a l'usage des .lfediC"ins et cles Infinnieres, may be obtained from: Comite des Jiopitaux du Quebec, 325 . Chemin Sainte-Catherine, Outremont, )fontreal 8. The first section of the code contains a brief statement of ethical principles and applications of these principles to the main problems likely to occur in hospital practice. The second section contains directives concerning the reception and administration of the sacraments and concerning the disposal of a dead fetus and of 11rnputated members. 2. Medical Ethics, by Charles J. McFadden, O.S.A. F. A.Davis Co., Philadelphia, Pa., 1949. This is the most complete, most-up-to-date, and most useful single volume of medical ethics in English. It was first published in 1946, under the title, Medical Ethics for Nurses. The first work was good; the second is much better. More lengthy comments on Father McFadden's book may be found in LINACRE QUAR­TERLY, February, 1950, pp. 7-9. One feature of Medical Ethics is that almost every chapter concludes with a number of problems to be solved. Father McFad­den's answers to these problems are given in a companion volume, Reference Manual to Medical Ethics, also published by F. A. Davis. 3. Medico-Moral Problerns, I, II, and III, by Gerald Kelly,S.J. The Catholic Hospital Association, St. Louis 4, Mo., 1949, 1950, 1951. For those who wish a complete treatise on medical ethics, these booklets ·are no substitute for Father McFadden's book, but they are a needed supplement to it. They are made up of articles that have appeared in Hospital Progress and LINACRE QUAR­TERLY. They deal with current problems and give adequate, but not too lengthy, answers to these problems. The articles refer frequently to the hospital code, and some of them were explicitly written as commentaries on certain sections of the code. I• I, .I I l l. . I ! •I ,. ,. ·y86 THE LINACRE QUAHTERLY n. Other Publications Dealing with Ethical and Religious Aspectsof l\Iedical Questions:4. The Cathol,i,c Doctor, by A. Bonnar, 0.F.M. Burns, Oatesand ,vashbourne, Ltd., London, 1948; This book contains a compendious treatment of such problems as sex, birth prevention, abortion, euthanasia, sterilization, scru­ples, psychotherapy, the professional secret, and so forth. To his discussion of these topics the author has wisely prefaced chapters o"f more general and fundamental value on the Church, miracles, law, the principle of the double effect, scandal, and cooperation. In its general scope Father Bonnar's book compares favorably ";th Father McFadden's. But it was written primarily for British reaclers, and some of its most important chapters might lack appeal for American doctors. For this reason I consider Father i\IcFadden's book more valuable for us. 5. Ethics of Ectopic Operations, by T. Lincoln Bouscaren,S.J. The· Bruce Publishing Co., Milwaukee, ,vis., 1944. "\iVith Father Henry Davis, S.J., in En gland,  and Father Arthur Vermeersch, S.J., in Rome, Father Bouscaren believed that the correct moral solution to the problem of ectopic pregnancy could be given only when the medical facts we�·e adequately por­trayed and understood. His book represents a very successiul effort to find and to appraise the medical facts, and its publication was a major turning point in the controversy over ectopic opera­tions. It was first published by the Loyola Press, Chicago, in 1933. The second edition ( to which I refer in this bibliography), though substantially the same as the first, contains some added material that should be of special interest to doctors. Both editions offer not only a thorough study of the ectopic problem, but also much excellent material on the entire question of direct and indirect killing of a fetus. 6. Handbook of Medical Ethics, by S. A. La Rochelle, O.M.I.,and C. T. Fink, M.D., C.1\1. The Newman Press, ,vestminskr, i\Id., 1943. • THE LINACHE QUARTERLY 87 In format this handbook resembles a small pocket dictionary . It is intended for nurses, physicians, and priests. It covers the gC"neral ethical principles pertaining to conscience and human t'onduct, a very large number of ethico-medical problems, a number of practical directives relative to the reception and administration of the sacraments, and some principles of charity and justice that have special reference to the medical profession. The original, entitled Precis de 111 orale lJl edicale, is published by Editions Beau­chemin, Montreal, P. Q. 7. The Invert, by Anomaly. Bailliere, Tindall and Cox, Lon­don, 1949. This book was written by an invert to help other inverts adjust to their problem and to enable their directors to assist them in this udjustment. The first part, which constituted the original work, is the most wholesome and helpful treatment of homosexuality I have seen. (I am somewhat dubious about the value of the supplement that has been added to the present edition.) For more detailed comments see LIN ACRE QUARTERLY, October, 1949, pp. 21-22. 8. Mercy Murder, by John C. Ford, S.J. The America: Press,70 East 45th St., New York 17, N. Y., 1950. This is only a pamphlet, but I include it here because it con­tains a splendid and readable presentation of the arguments against our ever-recurring problem, euthanasia. Doctors who must give a talk on this subject would find the pamphlet very helpful. 9. Morality in Medicine, by Timothy P. O'Connell. St. John'sSeminary, Brighton 35, Mass., 1949. This is a sort of catechism, containing brief answers to many of the moral problems that occur in medical practice. 10. Quizzes on Hospital Ethics, by L. Rumble, M.S.C., andCharles M. Carty. Radio Replies Press, St. Paul 1, Minn., 1946. Another question-and-answer booklet. It covers more material than Father O'Connell's. A few of the answers may be misleading, perhaps because of the authors' desire to keep them very brief. r l, . ! II . ! I I I I l, I ! • I I 'I .I· , , • 38 THE LIN'ACRE QUARTERLY 11. Rhythm-Cal, by Henry A. Fallon. H-C Publishing Co.,Sunny Slope Station, Kansas City 4, l\fo. Under this title are included· a calendar that l\lr. Fallon has designed for calculating the days of the safe period and a brief explanatory booklet that he has written. They furnish an excellent, moderately-priced explanation of the rhythm and should be a great help to doctors who want to provide their patients with reliable information on this subject. Mr. Fallon also has a booklet entitlccJ Temp-o-Graf which explains the basal temperature method of qetermining the date of ovulation. C. Books of More General Scope That Contain Some Sections 011 l\ledical Ethics and That are Useful for Reference:12. Ethics With Special Application To The Nursing Profes­sion, by Joseph B. l\lcAllister, S.S. vV. B. Saunders Co., Phila­delphia, Pa., 1947. Though they do not constitute a comparatively large section of this work, the applications to the medical profession are aptly chosen and clearly expressed. 13: llloral Guidance, by Edwin F. Healy, S.J. Loyola Univer­sity Press, Chicago, III., 1942. This is the first of three volumes that have been styled "a layman's moral theology." The other two volumes are Ma1·riagcGuidance (1948) and Christian Guidance (1949). Each of the volumes, particularly the first, has points of great value to physi­cians and nurses. Father Healy's books were written primarily for classroom use, and for this reason they contain many problems Jor discussion. The author's solutions to the problems are given in paper-bound Teacher's 111 anuals.14. Moral and Pastoral Theology, by Henry Davis, S.J.Sheed and Ward, New York, N. Y. 1'his four-volume work is the most complete treatment of moral theology in English. It was first published in 1935 and has gone through many editions since then. The second volume has the most THE LJNACHE QUARTERLY 89 npplications to medical problems; but the entire set is handy for refere!'ce. 15. Jllorals in Politics and Professions, by Francis J. Connell,C.SS.R. The Newman Press, Westminster, Md., 1946.The chapters of this volume deal with the duties of professio1�almen and go�ernment officials and �mployees. Chapters of spec1�lt. to the medical profess10n are those on the Catholicper mence . . · S · Doctor, the Catholic Nurse, and the Catholic 111 Social erv1ce Work. 16. The Science of Ethics, by the Rt. Rev. Msgr. MichaelCronin. M. H. Gill and Son, Dublin, Ireland. This is a two-volume scholarly presentation of ethics. Since the purpose of my book list is practical, I would not recommend the first volume except to libraries that have an abundance of funds. The second volume, however, has an excellent 14-page appendix on medico-moral pro�lems: I have often suggested thatthis appendix be separately prmted 111 pamphlet form. 17. What Is Marriage?, ·by Arthur Vermeersch,- S.J. TheAmerica Press, 70 East 45th St., New York 17, N. Y. This is a question-and-answer commentar! o� Pius Xi's. ency­clical on Christian Marriage. The translation 1s by _T. Lmcoln]l . S J It 1"s particularly valuable to the medical profes­ousca1en, . .  sion because of the section which deals with attacks on the fetus, contraception, sterilization, and rhythm. D. Some Useful Magazines:(Doctors often ask us for source material for talks on _ thereligious or moral aspects of medical questions. These magazmes generally contain articles that would be helpful for that purpose.) 18. · The Catholic Medical Quarterly. Published at _St. Bo�rn­venture's, Cambridge, England. Successor to The Catholic lit edicalGuardian. 19. The Catholic Nurse. A quarterly. Obtainab�e f�·om: TheSecretary, Catholic Nurses' Guild, 1 Edmund St., Birm111gham 3, England. I' v.. ' ,I ,_ i I i l ' I I I · I' I , I � ./, t 40 THE LINACRE QUARTERLY 20. Hospital Progress. A monthly. Official Journal of theCatholic Hospital Association of the United States and Canada 1438 South Grand Blvd., St. Louis 4, ;\Io. ' 21. Linacre. A quarterly. Published at: 14 Ely Place, London E.C.l, England.' 22. THE LINACRE QUARTERLY. Official Journal of theFederation of Catholic Physicians' Guilds, 1438 South Grand Illvcl., St. Louis 4, Mo. E. ValuaLle French Publications:23. Deontologie llledicale, by P. G. Payen, S.J. La MissionCatholique, Zi-Ka-Wei, China, 1935. 24. I'recis de M edecine Catholique, by Dr. Henri Bon. LibrairieFelix Alcan, 108 Boulevard Saint-Germain, Paris, France, 1935. 25. Ethique Prof essionnelle, by Abbe J.-Z Dufort. Hopital duSacre-Coeur, Cartierville, P. Q., Canada, 1944. . Regarding these three publications, let me briefly note thesepomt�: Father Pa yen's book is limited strictly to medical ethics and is probably the most complete of all such treatises. It contains mor� than 800 well-tilled pages. Doctor :Son's is almost as long, but it covers a greater variety of topics: e.g. mystical phenomena, and some of sacraments. Abbe Dufort's is a compact little manual. 26. Cahiers Laennec. A quarterly publication by FrenchCatholic Physicians. It usually devotes a complete issue, sometimes two issues, to one topic. Address: 12, rue d'Assas, Paris VI, France. * Since the last issue of LINACRE QUARTERLY two more G�ilds have become affiliated with The Federation-Minneapolis,:M1'.mesota and Sioux City, Iowa. The Wilmington, DelawareGuild has been reactivated. • THE LINACRE QUARTERLY The Medical Social Worker's Contribution to Total Patient Care Sister M. Richard, R.S.M. EVERY PHYSICIAN recognizes today that the modernhospital is far more than a series of rooms where patients . may be housed for convenience of service. An army of thera­pists, X-ray specialists, dieticians, and laboratory technologists attests to the complexity of contemporary hospital treatment. Yet many physicians do not make the fullest possible use of the hospital staff for the good of their patients by overlooking the role of the medical social worker. It is my experience that doctors do not knowingly or deliber­ately reject the competence of the medical social worker but rather that they are not sufficiently aware of what she has to offer. One physician who makes frequent but inconsistent referrals to medical° social service has made the statement that he actually forgets to include her when he is planning a course of treatment. He finds this hard to explain, for he admits that he gets excellent service when he does work with the medical social worker, and that on such occasions his patients are more completely cared for. Another physician believes that the difficulty arises from the fact that for so many years doctors have been accustomed to doing all their own work. They have a tendency to continue in the beaten path. This despite the fact that medical social service has been k11own since 1905 ! At that date Dr. Richard Cabot introduced it into Massa­chusetts General Hospital on the conviction that, given an under­standing of the whole patient which the worker could share with the physician, a better diagnosis and treatment of the· p·atie11t would result. It may be that the medical social worker must share the responsibility for part of the lack of cooperation between doctors and members of her profession. Either she may have failed to interpret her field or has attempted interpretation in a way so replete with social work terminology that doctors are repelled rather than attracted. Undoubtedly the blame falls on both sides: there is the apathy of a doctor which prevents his understanding I l ,, ,! ,' I. i i • I I I I t i ' I.

The Medical Social Worker\u27s Contribution to Total Patient Care

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The Medical Social Worker\u27s Contribution to Total Patient Care

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