Distinguishing the Difference Between Curing and Caring When Treating Patients

Dr. Victor Montori, MD, MSc, Robert H. and Susan M. Rewoldt Professor of Medicine and leader of the Knowledge and Evaluation Research (KER) Unit at the Mayo Clinic and Co-Founder of The Patient Revolution, discusses the critical distinction between curing and caring. Curing involves fixing a specific problem, demanding perfection, and standardizing processes, while caring involves long-term accompaniment of patients with chronic conditions. In these cases, the goal is not to find a cure but for the continuation of care to manage symptoms and mitigate treatment side effects. Applying the standards of curing to the work of caring can negatively impact...