Communicating with Compassion: Don’t Miss Golden Opportunity

Barry C. Dorn, MD is a practicing orthopaedic surgeon and associate director of the Program for Health Care Negotiation and Conflict Resolution at the Harvard School of Public Health. He says that physicians often fail to show the compassionate side of doctoring. And in doing so, they miss a golden opportunity to create a stronger doctor-patient relationship.

Treating the Whole Patient

“Doctors tend to be much more technology-oriented today and less humanistic in their approach to patients and often fail to show compassion for the patient. But it’s not always intentional,” explains Dr. Dorn. “They’re just more focused on the disease process going on than in the patient who has the disease.” As an example, if a patient comes in with a knee problem. “It’s very easy to look at X-rays and say to the patient, ‘You need a total knee replacement,’” he says. “However, that patient might not be very active and may benefit more from a cortisone shot that gets him by.” What is important here is that physicians don’t always ask questions about the type of care the patient would prefer based on that patient’s lifestyle. When working with a patient, a physician should show concern about the patient’s life.

Making Human Contact

Being compassionate also means physicians should not treat each patient as the “next case,” points out Dr. Dorn. “You’ve got to make human contact with the patient by shaking hands and greeting them properly. Personalize the medical interview by commenting on their profession. If the patient is a teacher, say, ‘I see you’ve spent a lifetime teaching. That’s wonderful. Where do you teach?’ ” According to Dr. Dorn, only after you sense the patient feels more comfortable with you and sees you as a caring doctor should you proceed with the interview.

When reviewing the patient’s medical history, pick out important things and comment on them. If the patient had cancer, say, ‘I see you’ve been cancer-free for ten years. That’s great!’ Express an interest in what the patient is experiencing now, and then begin the examination. At this point, Dr. Dorn says, “You are now ready to negotiate the patient’s care. That is because you now have a clear idea of the person’s past and present history. You can also discuss his or her concerns, fears and how the condition can be resolved in the patient’s best interest based on your communication with the patient.”

Constructing a Play

Dr. Dorn compares the medical interview to constructing a play. “The above scenario really sets the stage for the whole play. You can either establish a good relationship with the patient or a bad one—depending on how you stage things with him or her,” he says. When you personalize the medical interview, says Dr. Dorn, “you are not being prescriptive by saying, ‘Here you do this!’ Instead, you’ve said, ‘Here are your options; here’s what we can do.’ Remember, the most important thing is to ask the patient, ‘What do you think will work in your life?’ This is true compassion.”