Ad Tagline:"Blurring the Line Between Medicine and Miracles"

I know of a current advertising campaign to the public for a multi-specialty professional medical group to emphasize the uniqueness of the group from other groups. The tagline for the advertisements is: “Blurring the line between medicine and miracles”



Here is my opinion about the use of such a tagline. Though this may be thought as a "goodheaded" slogan from an advertising point of view, I find this tagline as misleading and ethically wrong. It simply adds irrational support to the confused idea that there really may be a relationship between medical practice and what many

define as "miracles". It sets up a concept about medical care which could in the

end lead to degrading attempts at patient beneficence, non-malificence and

justice for patients in general. Many of the conflicts brought to the ethics

committee have to do with confusion in the mind of patients and family about the

limits of medicine. Often, families want more diagnostic tests, treatment

and continued life-support in search of the "miracle".



Miracles to me are very rare medically unexpected and scientifically unclear

good-fortune. Doctors are not "miracle-workers". Hope is important as

presented to the patient and family but at some point physicians must be realistic

in their presentation as to what they can accomplish. Though it is likely that the physicians of the multi-specialty clinic deserve recognition of excellence, nevertheless the line between medicine

and miracles should be kept bright and clear and blurring should be avoided.



Do you think that miracles should not be looked upon as a medical result but due to something else, perhaps of spiritual origin? ..Maurice.