Avoiding the “Deadly Sins” of Humanitarian Missions: How to “Do Good” Better

Abstract

Program Description: Over the past several decades, the numbers of North American physicians and surgeons engaged in international humanitarian missions has increased dramatically. Such trips often provide an opportunity for needy individuals and communities to receive care that would otherwise be unavailable to them. They also provide the opportunity for participants to “give back” through providing direct patient care and teaching in an environment of extreme need. Personal motivations, level of ability of the individual practitioner, sophistication of the mission organization, as well as level of connectedness to “in country” providers varies dramatically among mission groups. This variability has contributed to some unfortunate patient outcomes. Accusations that “surgical safaris” represent a “form of Neo-colonialism” have cast doubt on the motivations of participants and brought significant scrutiny to the true benefits arising from these efforts. This interactive miniseminar will explore “deadly sins” which are common to medical humanitarian efforts as well as issues which are unique to surgical humanitarian missions. Panelists will discuss available data and areas in which there is a lack of data concerning humanitarian efforts. Finally, “best practices” for humanitarian missions will be discussed. Issues to be discussed include appropriate standard of care, duration, follow-up, conduct of research, resident trainee participation in surgical procedures, role of the media, and integration with local care systems.

Educational Objectives: 1) Identify common problems encountered during medical and surgical humanitarian mission trips. 2) Understand ethical concerns arising during international humanitarian efforts. 3) Apply best practices for conduct of humanitarian mission trips in which they are involved.