The Washington Post printed an article today about a study published in The Archives of Internal Medicine about missed opportunities for physicians to express empathy for patients. The study was between lung cancer patients and their thoracic surgeons or oncologists. The relationship of a cancer patient and physician is complex, not only because of complex treatment plans, but because patients are also dealing with emotional issues such as the loss of identity and the fear of death. Patients reach out to physicians, but physicians may feel more comfortable talking about biomedical issues rather than emotional issues, which don't have an easy answer.
You can find the article here: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/09/22/AR2008092201894.html
So what do you think? What steps can physicians take to better prepare for emotional encounters?
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