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Being a doctor is essentially a moral enterprise and all kinds of care begin with the encounter with the patient. This encounter occurs at the intersection of the patient’s need for assistance and the doctor’s professional knowledge. The meeting can be characterised by paternalism, autonomy or participation. It is important to regard the patient as a person and explore his or her perceptions, apprehensions and expectations early in the meeting. All decisions in medicine rely on both facts and values. It is, therefore, important that both the doctor’s and the patient’s values and preferences are out in the open. The medical encounter is always asymmetrical, which necessitates that the power perspective be acknowledged.

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