Empathy In Medicine
In my line of treatment, I have many doctors that treat me for my different ailments. I built my life around my way of positive thinking and believing in the universe to guide me. However, nothing crushes my spirits more than when I leave a doctor’s room feeling devastated for lack of empathy shown. It leaves me feeling discouraged and a bit heartbroken. Don’t get me wrong; I have some miraculous doctors. One in particular who I should nominate for the ‘Woman Of The Year Award.” She is that wonderful.
- What is empathy?
- Empathy Versus Sympathy.
- What are doctors to me?
- The impact of lack of empathy from your health care providers.
- How Important Is Empathy In A Doctor-Patient Relationship?
- Is it their fault?
- What makes a good doctor.
- Having a good doctor.
- Final thoughts
What Is Empathy?
According to Wikipedia,
”Empathy is the capacity to understand or feel what another person is experiencing from within their frame of reference, that is, the capacity to place oneself in another’s position.”
Sympathy Versus Empathy
Sympathy is when you share the feelings of someone. Empathy is when you understand the feelings of another but don’t share them.
What Are Doctors To Me?
Living with a chronic disease can make you feel very alone.
My illness has affected me in ways that I find hard to articulate. It has not only impacted my life but that of my family as well. There are times when it gets pretty bad, especially when I relapse. It is in these times when I rely on my doctors.
Doctors, to me, are a kind of a Lifeline. I look to them for help and guidance. Without them, I may not survive.
God is a divine entity that I pray to for spiritual guidance. In my physical reality, my doctors are like Gods for me. So to be mistreated by one is a little soul-crushing.
The Impact Of Lack Of Empathy From Your Health Care Providers.
Some doctors and nurses are so clinical. They focus on the scientific part of your treatment and not on your emotional ones. However, their lack of empathy makes us feel dehumanized. There is no human connection. It is distressing and harms us emotionally. As a result, it impacts our healing progress.
It is not without reasons that I say this. I had many bad experiences. One of which was when I was eight months pregnant. I told my doctor that I could not feel my baby move. He was cold and unfeeling. He stated that he was the professional and that if he tells me everything is ok, then everything is ok.
Trusting in him, I went home only to return two days later; and be told that my baby was no more. He felt no remorse and showed me no compassion. All he said was that these things happen.
Once admitted to the hospital, I got a taste of what cruelty was. The nurse in charge of me was downright horrible.
While giving birth to my stillborn, I was called derogatory names and told to shut up when I screamed in pain.
How can these people be so cruel?
They take the Hippocratic oath and do what?
Forget it?
I attend a Lupus Clinic. It is one of the best facilities available for my treatment. The downside to this is we do not get just one doctor to treat us. There is a group of them, and if you are lucky, you get to see a nice one, a doctor who will treat you like the human being you are. They accommodate your concerns with compassion and understanding.
If you are not so fortunate, you get a doctor that doesn’t care. In the ten years of my treatment, I had many of those. Believe me, when I tell you this, It is not a once-off thing where you can excuse the doctor because maybe they had a bad day or are going through something personal. No sir-ree, they are repeat offenders.
When they are rude and condescending and rush to finish your consult, you tend to feel down. It makes you feel as though you do not want to return to the clinic. Having such feelings can be counterproductive to one’s treatment and recovery process.
How Important Is Empathy In A Doctor-Patient Relationship?
I believe that it is relevant for a doctor to be empathetic. Not only does the patient feel satisfied, but it helps the healing process. Study shows that patients tend to get better faster. It calms their anxiety, and they experience less aggressive symptoms. The power of the mind plays an influential role in the healing process. Chronic disease is something that you have to live with for the rest of your life. When we have empathetic doctors or nurses, we tend to open up more, which leads to better diagnoses and better health outcomes. It encourages a good rapport with the patient. Often because of the lack of empathy, signs of distress are missed.
I often wondered why some of them behave this way, which led me to my next question.
Is It Their Fault?
I am the kind of person who sees Good in people no matter the circumstances. Some may call me naive, but it is just the way that I am. So I ask the question, Is it their fault?
The answer is I don’t know.
Could it perchance be that they work in a busy clinic or hospital and have extended hours and see many patients, that it is easier for them to switch off their emotions and have a more clinical approach?
In contrast, you find many doctors who work under the same conditions are empathetic and kind. So I guess it is an individual preference.
BUT:
Do they stop to consider the patient?
The patient could be someone that had a rough week or spent the previous night taking care of a sick child. It could be someone who lost their job or home. It could even be someone who didn’t have the money to come for their treatment. It could be someone who was in physical pain and an emotional mess.
The doctor’s lack of empathy could have a very negative impact on the patient. Our illnesses worry us, and it plays on our minds. Nobody likes to feel sick. Our emotional stability plays an indispensable role in one’s recovery process. Doctors can give us the peace of mind that we crave. A gentle hand and a few kind words never hurt anyone.
Sir William Osler said it best when he said, ”The good physician treats the disease; the great physician treats the patient who has the disease.”
Amen to that!
What Makes A Good Doctor?
A good doctor, in my opinion, is empathetic, focused, unbiased, respectful, compassionate, honest, approachable, caring, a good listener, an advocate for their patients, understanding, and someone who lives and promotes a healthy lifestyle.
Having A Good Doctor
I do have a family doctor that ticks off all the boxes above. Unfortunately, She cannot treat me for the many underlying conditions that I need a Specialist to treat.
I wanted to use her as an example of what a good doctor should be. Firstly she is swamped and sees many patients a day. Each patient is delivered the same treatment. (I know because we talk in the waiting rooms 🙂 )
Her empathy and compassion never waver, and I should know, she has been our family doctor for over ten years.
She is not afraid to touch you or comfort you. She explains things in a language you understand.
I found myself asking her for answers. Answers to questions that doctors at the clinic disregarded. Even if it has nothing to do with my consult, she takes the time to address my concerns and ease my anxiety.
At the end of my consult with her, I leave with a feeling of hope, understanding, and comfort.
My Final Thoughts
I am not a professional by any means. This article is based solely on my opinions which, are subjected to my own experiences.
I conclude by saying that there is no personal requirement to have my doctors sympathize with me. I believe that showing empathy goes a long way in helping me with my illness on an emotional level. So, YES, doctors should be more empathetic to their patients. After all, they did take an oath.
I leave you with two extracts from the Modern Version Of A Doctor’s Hippocratic Oath.
I find it very relevant to my topic.
”I will remember that there is an art to medicine as well as science, and that warmth, sympathy, and understanding may outweigh the surgeon’s knife or the chemist’s drug.”
”I will remember that I do not treat a fever chart, a cancerous growth, but a sick human being, whose illness may affect the person’s family and economic stability. My responsibility includes these related problems if I am to care adequately for the sick.”