Doctors Learn about Empathy

     Dr. Decety, of the University of Chicago, had shared with our class the importance of empathy in human evolution and adaptation.  Rather than just a feeling or a trait belonging to kind-hearted people, Dr. Decety had researched and even suggested that empathy may have been useful to early human survival.  Specifically, the trait of empathy may have allowed humans to aid one another in times of struggle or need.  As a key ingredient for relationships, empathy is important for brothers, sisters, fathers, mothers, friends, mentors, teachers and even doctors.  So really, how crucial is empathy really?  The answer seems to be very, at least in medicine where patient-physician relationship is at the core.

     Empathy is considered an important part of receiving great healthcare with associations in fewer medical errors, more satisfied patients, better outcomes and fewer malpractice claims.  It makes sense to relate how empathy was important in early human survival to the role of everyday physicians treating the sick.  If we already know the importance of physicians showing greater empathy, what do we do about those doctors that don't know too much about it?  Apparently there is treatment available for these doctors too!

     According to Dr. Helen Riess, director of Empathy and Relational Science Program in the department psychiatry at Massachusetts General Hospital, those who are empathetic have heart rates, skin electrical conductance and brain activities that mirror the people who are going through the emotional experience.  Understanding this research and the importance of empathy in medicine, Dr. Riess created training modules for doctors that would teach them how to recognize nonverbal cues and facial expressions in patients.  Also these training modules would help the doctors in how to manage their own reactions to encounters that involved much emotion. 

     Empathy training involves practicing with patients, receiving evaluations from patients over a time period to gauge change, showing doctors where a combination of lacking empathy and misunderstandings with patients can lead to increased frustrations and negative consequences.  Doctors who received this training learned to maintain better eye contact with their patients, interrupted their patients less and were better able to keep their composure when dealing with disgruntled patients.  Through this training, many physicians have even shared their newfound appreciation and passion for medicine.  At the basis of this important research is neuroscience.  With neurophysiological data, professionals such as Dr. Decety and Dr. Riess are better understanding the crucial roles of empathy in bettering medicine and society.

For more information on the mentioned researchers and sources: 

Dr. Chen "http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/06/21/can-doctors-learn-empathy/"

Dr. Decety "http://psychology.uchicago.edu/people/faculty/jdecety.shtml"

Dr. Riess "http://www.massgeneral.org/psychiatry/services/empathy_bios.aspx"

"http://www.bostonglobe.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/2012/05/27/force-interview-helen-riess-doctor-patient-empathy/wKrnttwPk5ZoTGFOEyYjNM/story.html"

JAMA "http://jama.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=186692"