A Role in Process: The Development of Medical Professionals' Role in Long-Term Care of Chronically Diseased Patients

This is a study of a new role in development. Medical professionals involved in long-term comprehensive care of chronically diseased patients have found that the institutionalized professional/acute patient role does not allow them to cope with problems encountered with chronic patients. Behavioral adaptations to these problems are leading to the development of a professional/chronic patient role, which may be divided into three segments: exercising technical competence, teaching, and socializing-each segment less developed than the preceding one.