title: Humor in medicine.
abstract: Humor and laughter have been a focus of attention in the popular media and in the medical literature. Despite statements about the health benefits of humor, current research is insufficient to validate such claims. There is support in the literature for the role of humor and laughter in other areas, including patient-physician communication, psychological aspects of patient care, medical education, and as a means of reducing stress in medical professionals.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, The George Washington University Medical Center, Washington, DC, USA.
authors.forename: Howard J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Bennett
mesh_terms: D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D003142:Communication; D006282:Health Personnel / Q000523:psychology; D006801:Humans; D027641:Laughter Therapy; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D013663:Teaching / Q000379:methods; D014925:Wit and Humor as Topic; D014956:Writing