Eric Cassell
American physician and bioethicist (1928–2021)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Eric Jonathan Cassell, born Eric Jonathan Goldstein (August 29, 1928 – September 24, 2021) was an American physician and bioethicist.
August 29, 1928
Eric Cassell | |
|---|---|
Cassell in 2013 | |
| Born | Eric Jonothan Goldstein August 29, 1928 New York City |
| Died | September 24, 2021 (aged 93) East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania |
| Known for | Work on the nature of suffering and the role of empathy in the medical profession |
| Notable work | The Nature of Suffering and the Goals of Medicine (1991) |
| Children | 1 |
| Website | ericcassell |
Early life and education
Eric Jonathan Goldstein was born on August 29, 1928, in New York City.[1] He and his brother changed their surname to Cassell to render it closer to their grandfather's name, which was changed at Ellis Island.[1] He received a BS from Queens College, City University of New York, in 1950, an MA from Columbia University, also in 1950, and an MD from New York University School of Medicine in 1954.[1][2]
Career
Cassell taught at Cornell University Medical College and Mount Sinai School of Medicine, and practiced at French Hospital and New York Hospital.[3] He was elected a member of the National Academy of Medicine in 1982.[4]
According to a 2019 critical review of Cassell's work, his views on the nature of suffering were "close to canonical" in the medical community.[5] Cassell advanced a subjective view of suffering, according to which the condition must be understood by reference to the beliefs and perceptions of the person experiencing it.[5]
In 2001, Cassell published a study in Annals of Internal Medicine that assessed the decision-making capacity of severely ill adults, finding that their decision-making abilities were similar to those of children under 10. Commenting on his findings, Cassell stated, "I think it's grossly unfair and I actually think it's an abuse of a patient to put someone in a position to make decisions when they don't have the capacity to make them."[6]
Cassell died on September 24, 2021, in East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania.[1]
Bibliography
- Cassell, Eric J. (1976). The Healer's Art: A New Approach to the Doctor-Patient Relationship. Philadelphia: Lippincott. ISBN 0-397-01098-2. OCLC 1958247.[7]
- Cassell, Eric J. (July 24, 1997). Doctoring: The Nature of Primary Care Medicine. Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195113235.001.0001. ISBN 978-0-19-511323-5.[8]
- Cassell, Eric J. (April 8, 2004) [1991]. The Nature of Suffering and the Goals of Medicine. Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195156164.001.0001. ISBN 978-0-19-515616-4.[9]
- Cassell, Eric J. (December 5, 2012). The Nature of Healing: The Modern Practice of Medicine. Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195369052.001.0001. ISBN 978-0-19-536905-2.[10]
