The New York Times highlighted an article recently published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology. A little bit of empathy can go a long way in helping patients understand and stick with their treatment.
You can find the article here: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/08/health/08seco.html?ex=1357448400&en=8203887449e399dc&ei=5124&partner=permalink&exprod=permalink.
And the abstract is here: http://jco.ascopubs.org/cgi/content/abstract/25/36/5748.
This article got my attention because it parallels the research we are doing at MCW about quality communication. Empathy is an important aspect of clinical care. It shows the humanity of the doctor and potentially offers the patient hope. But when patients open up about emotions, doctors rarely engage in the discussion and too often, divert the conversation back to science and medicine. But the good news is that younger doctors and those who identify themselves as socioemotional responded better to emotional cues. Emphasis and training on addressing the emotions of health care will help doctors be better equipped to respond to their patients' emotional, as well as physical needs.
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