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.