Rapidly increasing medical knowledge and technology make it difficult to keep up to date and there is an increasing pressure to focus on the disease rather than the patient.

Many physicians are now challenged by patients, nurses, administrators and government agencies to explain and defend their job.

Physicians are daily confronted with death and are thus focused to deal with the issue of their own mortality and the purpose and meaning of life. Many unfortunately begin to view death and disease as well as life in general as a battle. Some see battle already lost and develop a sense of hopelessness and powerlessness (3).