The Power of Physician Empathy
A new Rx for chronic pain? The post The Power of Physician Empathy appeared first on Nautilus.
We all prefer a doctor who listens to our concerns and expresses compassion for our suffering. But does physician empathy actually have a lasting impact on a patient’s health?
Empathy appears to decline among some medical students over the duration of their medical school training, and doctors often miss opportunities to offer it due to time constraints. Physicians also seem to show less empathy toward patients in lower socioeconomic groups and from non-white races. But they might be missing an important therapeutic tool.
