Written by Michael Feder
Reviewed by Mark Jóhannsson, DHSc, MPH, Dean, College of Health Professions
Written by Michael Feder
Reviewed by Mark Jóhannsson, DHSc, MPH, Dean, College of Health Professions
Cognitive and behavioral concepts are important to consider when supporting population health and positive health outcomes. A healthcare professional’s attitude, words and body language affect patient outcomes. Of course, these things won’t cure a disease on their own. On the other hand, would patients be more willing to keep up with a rigorous drug regimen if their prescribing physician were someone they trusted and liked?
The concept of compassion in healthcare has spurred debate in the medical community. Ongoing conversations are illuminating the ways that compassion might have real medical value to patients and healthcare providers alike.
Everyone who enters the medical system, whether they be a patient or provider, has their own expectations of behavior. Generally, most people might agree that their nurse or physician should be “compassionate” or “sympathetic,” but definitions differ on exactly what those terms mean or how a healthcare provider should act.
A survey of the literature reveals a number of definitions for “compassionate healthcare.” According to an article in the International Journal of Palliative Nursing, compassion comprises three key qualities:
Empathy, or the ability to understand and share the feelings of others, is the first step. Compassionate healthcare providers respond empathetically to patient suffering and feelings.
It’s not enough to empathize with a patient’s suffering or feelings. Compassion requires a desire to help, a desire that is apparent and active. While empathy is an internal feeling, willingness can be observed externally in both effect and action.
Healthcare providers who are empathetic with their patients and willing to help won’t do much good for anyone if they do not act rationally. Rather provider actions should be specific, ethical and “directed at finding a solution to [patient] suffering”, according to International Journal of Palliative Nursing.
Taken together, these three aspects make up a strong working definition of compassionate healthcare.
If compassionate care is lacking, it’s not because healthcare providers are uncompassionate people. Here are a few reasons why healthcare providers may have difficulty giving compassionate care.
Burnout in nurses and physicians results from the long hours and stress they experience helping patients around the clock. Burnout can make a person more cynical and less excited about going to work. Whether it be in tone or body language, that cynicism can come across as callous and unempathetic.
Medicine, like any science, depends on experimental design, data-driven conclusions and hard facts. Quantitative measurable data is used to solve difficult medical problems.
There are research methods that allow scientists to capture the human part of the process. Of course, a provider’s education, skills, quantitative reasoning, experience and access to information must form the basis of their work. It’s important to talk to patients as people and take time to ask questions and truly listen. That distinction can mean the difference between care that is compassionate and care that isn’t.
Considering where compassion should exist in healthcare has specific implications for physicians, nurses and patients. Here are a few things to consider about compassionate healthcare:
When compassionate care is practiced, it can have many benefits. For patients, some of the benefits of compassionate care are:
For healthcare practitioners, benefits of compassionate care may include:
Although healthcare workers continue to work in challenging conditions, providing compassionate care to patients is a rewarding experience. It has the potential to make a difficult job more rewarding and create a rapport that could improve patient care.
Standards of care, evidence-based decision-making, policies, procedures and proper training are meant to regulate and improve patient care across the board.
Patients who feel their provider is listening and being compassionate may likely provide more details about their symptoms, social history and personal care practices. This may reveal certain information that can lead to a more accurate diagnosis and treatment.
On the other hand, if patients feel their provider does not care about them, they may withhold information because they are not comfortable, resulting in delayed or inaccurate treatment.
It might seem counterintuitive, but there is a way that more compassionate care can actually benefit healthcare providers from experiencing burnout.
While compassion might require a greater expenditure of energy, it can also provide a sense of accomplishment. When compassionate providers successfully treat a patient, they can see the impact firsthand. This can lead to increased motivation, which helps to dispel cynicism, withdrawal and burnout.
There are guidelines that can benefit most providers in taking a more compassionate approach to patient care. Research published in the peer-reviewed PLOS One journal, suggests the following:
1. Sitting instead of standing while speaking with a patient
2. Paying attention to nonverbal cues
3. Looking for opportunities to show compassion
4. Demonstrating compassion both nonverbally and verbally
These researchers found that certain training methods were more successful in building compassion in healthcare professionals. For example, professionals benefit from being able to practice compassion rather than listening to a lecture about its importance.
Healthcare providers benefit from learning how to engage in:
Begin with self-compassion. Learning how to empathize with others may not come easily to healthcare professionals who haven’t learned previously how to do it for themselves. However, it is a skill that can be learned and practiced.
It may seem like common sense, but making an honest effort to listen to a patient’s words can be the biggest difference in building compassion. This means being present in the moment and giving your full attention to the person speaking. Active listening also involves trying to understand what the other person is feeling. This can be done by paying attention to their body language and tone of voice.
Some tips for active listening are:
When patients ask questions, it’s essential to give them honest answers. This doesn’t mean you need to share every detail about their diagnosis or treatment. It does mean, however, being truthful.
Likewise, delicate information requires a compassionate and honest approach. Tips for answering questions openly and honestly include:
It is important to provide some level of comfort to patients. This can be done in various ways, depending on the situation. Examples of providing comfort include:
It’s essential to set healthy boundaries to avoid compassion fatigue. This means knowing your limits and taking time for yourself when needed. Tips for setting healthy boundaries include:
Helping patients succeed is one of the most powerful things healthcare providers can do. This means providing them with the resources and information to make informed decisions about their health.
Some ways to set patients up for success are:
These may seem like small things but taken together they can leave a patient feeling more heard and cared for. And the ripple effects of that can be far-reaching.
A graduate of Johns Hopkins University and its Writing Seminars program and winner of the Stephen A. Dixon Literary Prize, Michael Feder brings an eye for detail and a passion for research to every article he writes. His academic and professional background includes experience in marketing, content development, script writing and SEO. Today, he works as a multimedia specialist at University of Phoenix where he covers a variety of topics ranging from healthcare to IT.
Mark Jóhannsson is the Dean of the College of Health Professions. He has a career spanning over 35 years of healthcare management, public health practice, higher education administration, teaching and clinical/behavioral research within corporate, community and academic settings. He has served as both an educational and keynote speaker, and he has been published in a variety of peer-reviewed and periodic literature.
This article has been vetted by University of Phoenix's editorial advisory committee.
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