Arstlikust

Arstlikust is a theoretical concept used in medical sociology and bioethics to analyze the professional, ethical, and social dimensions of medical practice. It serves as a lens for examining how physicians are formed, regulated, and embedded within political and cultural contexts, and how doctor-patient relationships shape and are shaped by broader health systems.

Origin and terminology: the word combines Estonian arst, meaning doctor, with the suffix -likust to form an abstract noun. The term emerged in academic discourse in the Baltic region in the early 2010s and has since circulated in comparative discussions of professionalization and health governance.

Definition and scope: Arstlikust encompasses professional identity, standards of practice, accountability mechanisms, medical education, clinical governance, and the ethical responsibilities of physicians toward patients and society. It highlights tensions between autonomy and oversight, individual judgment and evidence-based guidelines, and patient welfare and resource constraints.

Core principles: respect for patient welfare, transparency and accountability, commitment to ongoing professional development, stewardship of medical resources, and a sense of social responsibility beyond individual encounters.

Usage and debates: In contemporary scholarship, arstlikust is used to frame analyses of policy reforms, medical education curricula, and reforms of licensing and oversight. Critics argue that the concept can be overly broad or ambiguous, while supporters view it as a useful integrative framework for understanding medicine as a social practice.

See also: medical ethics, professionalization of medicine, health policy, doctor-patient relationship.