Physicians’ Professional Performance: Between Time and Technology is an inspiring plea for ‘doctors with cool heads and warm hearts’. It is the result of Prof. Kiki Lombarts’ reflections on working with physicians for over 25 years in the Netherlands and abroad. This book is based on the second, revised edition of the Dutch-language book Professional performance van artsen, which appeared in 2016. The English translation of this work was updated in 2019, incorporating new insights, lessons learned and the latest scientific literature. In this book, Lombarts identifies three pillars of professional performance – i.e., the constant pursuit of excellence, humanistic practice, and accountability for one’s own actions – which seem to reflect a shared ideal of many physicians. According to her, these three pillars should be further explored by the medical profession and should be translated into medical training and practice, and into policies to monitor and promote the quality of patient care.
“It is amazing how Kiki Lombarts has been able to distil the professional performance of doctors into three concise but defining concepts. Indeed, as a practising doctor, striving for excellence in patient care, acting with compassion and according to humanistic values, and being accountable for my interaction with patients and healthcare colleagues, very adequately summarizes my personal professional objectives.” (Marcel Levi, MD, Chief Executive University College London Hospitals and Professor of Medicine, University College London, UK)
“Kiki Lombarts’ description of the three pillars of physicians’ professional performance underscores the importance of professionalism and professional identity formation in the practice of medicine. Based on 25 years of research and a thorough understanding of the relevant literature, this work, which clearly ties professional performance to patient care, offers invaluable insights for students and practitioners alike.” (Yvonne Steinert, clinical psychologist, Director of the Centre for Medical Education and Professor of Family Medicine at McGill University, Montreal, Canada)
“Self-regulation is a key assignment for the medical profession. This is not an easy task. Kiki Lombarts highlights the challenges and will inspire you to fulfil your professional responsibilities with knowledge, fun and compassion.” (Cees van der Vleuten, psychologist, Scientific Director of the School of Health Professions Education and Professor of Education, University of Maastricht, the Netherlands)
