Rediscovering dignity at the bedside

doi:10.1136/bmj.39277.847118.2C

BMJ 2007;335:167-168 (28 July), doi:10.1136/bmj.39277.847118.2C

Editorials

Rediscovering dignity at the bedside

It is possible to teach the ABCD of preserving patients' dignity

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

It was a comfort when Gerasim sat with him sometimes the wholenight through . . . Gerasim was the only one who did not lie;everything he did showed that he alone understood what was happening,and saw no need to conceal it . . . and so the relationshipwas a comfort to him.
From Leo Tolstoy, The Death of Ivan Ilyich

The Oxford English Dictionary defines dignity as "the stateof being worthy of honour or respect" or "high regard or estimation."The 1948 universal Declaration of Human Rights and article 1of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union recognisedignity as a human right.¹ Improving dignity in care is a coretheme in guidance from many governments across the globe. Forexample, in England the Department of Health launched a policyearlier this year to "create a zero tolerance of lack of dignity. . . [Full text of this article]

Irene J Higginson, professor of palliative care, S Hall, lecturer in palliative care

Department of Palliative Care, Policy and Rehabilitation, King's College London, London SE5 9RJ

irene.higginson@kcl.ac.uk

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