In medicine we rely on teams.

good teams require civility 

Incivility between medical professionals is damaging.

Rudeness impacts the recipient in ways far greater than making them upset; it disrupts their ability to work in a team, it alters their willingness to help others, it reduces their clinical ability.

The impact is like a ripple in a pond; other team members are directly affected, and their function in the team also decreases, along with their clinical performance.

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A poorly functioning team does not make good clinical decisions, they make more errors, and the errors impact the patient. Errors lead to deaths.

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Therefore, being civil can save lives!