Fostering Empathy and Compassion in Medicine

The evolution of medical discoveries and advanced technologies have

brought wonderful cures and increased longevity. But what have we lost?

How often have you been a patient, or an advocate for a loved one in the

hospital, and faced doctors who seem curt or who aren't fully present and

listening? Today on Peace Talks Radio, we'll talk about empathy and

compassion in medicine. There's an increasing recognition that

compassionate care not only improves patient outcomes, but also helps

doctors avoid professional burnout.

Our host Megan Kamerick talks with three guests. First is Dr. Rana

Awdish, who learned a harrowing lesson when she went from being a critical

care physician to a critical care patient in her own hospital - the Henry

Ford Health System in Detroit. A tumor on her liver ruptured during her

pregnancy and she nearly died. Awdish found there was a shocking lack of

empathy among her colleagues and realized many of the faults she saw she

had committed herself as a doctor. Also, Dr. David Rakel talks about the

role compassion and human connection play in promoting health and

well-being, something he witnessed often in his own practice. Another

guest, Dr. Marc J. Kahn completed a study with his colleagues that found a

correlation between exposure to the arts and empathy in medical students,

which might lead to fostering more compassion in care.