title: Requests for VIP Treatment in Pathology: Implications for Social Justice and Systems-Based Practice.
abstract: Preferential treatment of patients whom we deem "very important" is a practice that is common in our health care system. The impact of this designation and the care that results is rarely studied or scrutinized. Although we assume that this type of treatment results in superior outcomes, this assumption can be wrong for a variety of reasons, which we discuss here. In addition to expressing unjust preferential treatment for some patients and not others, VIP medicine could compromise patient safety.
authors.forename: Virginia
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Sheffield
authors.affiliation: Associate professor of pathology, section head of hematopathology, and director of the Ethics Path of Excellence (a co-curricular program) at the University of Michigan Medical School in Ann Arbor, and serves as a hospital ethicist, performing ethics consultations at the University of Michigan Medical Center.
authors.forename: Lauren B
authors.initials: LB
authors.lastname: Smith
mesh_terms: D001706:Biopsy; D003695:Delivery of Health Care; D004992:Ethics, Medical; D054625:Healthcare Disparities / Q000941:ethics*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D000072142:Pathologists / Q000941:ethics; D010337:Pathology Department, Hospital / Q000941:ethics*; D010338:Pathology, Clinical / Q000941:ethics*; D012935:Social Justice