Effects of doctor’s empathy abilities on patient outcomes


As medical professionals advance further into the healthcare field, empathy tends to deteriorate as patient cases become more of a task rather than a connection. Studies have shown that doctors have a large influence on patient outcomes just focusing on how they may speak to each patient. Looking at a study examining the effects of doctors’ empathy abilities on patients with advanced prostate cancer, results showed that the doctors altered the patients’ stigma, self-efficacy, and anxiety based on their choice of words and the effort integrated within the conversation. Another study assessed transcripts of 20 audio recordings of consultations between men with lung cancer and surgeons or oncologists at a Veterans Affairs hospital. The transcripts revealed 384 opportunities for the doctors to show empathy — patient comments such as "this is overwhelming" and "I'm fighting it,” but they missed all but 39.
            Many individuals go into the healthcare field because they are succeeding in their science classes or just because it provides a high income. However, this field requires that individuals carry a sense of sympathy and kindness that is maintained over the years and expressed in every patient encounter.
            Paul Kalanithi, a medical student hoping to become a neurosurgeon tells about his story as a student going through medical school and residency and how his perspectives change over the years especially when he gets diagnosed with Stage IV lung cancer. Kalanithi describes transitioning from being a physician to being a patient along with changes in his views on life following his diagnosis. He describes coming to the realization although one may get busy and feel overwhelmed with the amount of work required, you are still dealing with people. Some patient may be hearing bad news for the first time while others are exhausted from continuously hearing negative outcomes. Empathy carries a patient and can push them to fight through struggles. Doctors have the ability to encourage a patient to live with their illness and be their supporter.
             

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6063254/
https://usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/health/2008-09-22-doctor-empathy_N.htm
http://paulkalanithi.com/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5812057/

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