Compassion is a cornerstone of good care. It helps us listen better and respond to what our patients are trying to say. Compassion can also generate trust, making it easier for patients to share their hopes and fears about their health with us. Compassion is also an essential ingredient for physician-patient relationships that work over the long haul: studies show that physicians whose patients like them will be asked back for more appointments, even when no specific illness or injury is involved. Finally, compassion improves patient adherence to treatment—something we’ll discuss in more detail in my next post on this topic.
Introduction
We are entering an era in which patients are increasingly emotionally involved in their healthcare decisions.
Patients are increasingly involved in their healthcare decisions, which is important to understand. Patients will want to know what happened during an illness or injury, and they’ll want to know about all the options available for treatment. They may also ask questions or make requests of you and your colleagues as well. To provide patients with quality care, it’s important that we have compassion for them—and have patience when they ask questions we don’t know how to answer.
Patient expectations of compassionate care are high, and they are even more gratified by it than by technical expertise.
In recent years, there has been a great deal of interest in the concept of compassionate care for patients. This is because more and more people realize that an understanding and supportive attitude can positively impact their physical and mental health. Nowadays, there are many different types of health facilities that offer services such as massage therapy, acupuncture, or meditation classes.
One study found that patients who received any palliative care had lower rates of depression than those without such treatment; they also experienced less pain and fatigue while undergoing treatment. In addition to these benefits, compassionate care may also improve patient satisfaction with their hospital experience. Patients are more likely to recommend a hospital that demonstrates compassion. This could lead them back into your facility when they need your services again—especially if it’s different from where they got treated last time.
Compassion can improve treatment adherence.
Patient adherence is one of the biggest challenges faced by healthcare organizations, and it’s a critical factor in determining a patient’s health. As the World Health Organization (WHO) noted, “Adherence to treatment is defined as the extent to which patients follow medical advice and adhere to the prescribed therapy. Adherence can be measured using self-report measures or objective methods such as electronic monitoring devices, pill counts, and blood tests.”
Studies have shown that patients who feel more compassion from their doctors are more likely to adhere to treatment plans, which directly translates into better outcomes for patients with chronic illnesses such as diabetes or heart disease.
Healthcare workers who demonstrate compassion receive fewer complaints from patients.
The most obvious reason is that patients with a good experience with a healthcare provider are more likely to recommend them to others. Patients with bad experiences or who do not feel cared for by their healthcare provider will be more likely to complain and even sue if the situation is egregious. A study found that for every complaint a medical office receives, nearly five people don’t complain but still feel dissatisfied enough with their care not to return as patients.
Compassionate care can help avoid medical errors.
Compassionate care can help to avoid medical errors. As a healthcare provider, you are constantly faced with stressful situations and feelings of anxiety. Compassionate care can help reduce your patients’ stress and anxiety, thereby reducing medical errors caused by stress or pressure on patients and staff.
Some common ways that compassionate care may prevent medical errors include:
- Encouraging open communication between patient and clinician regarding treatment options and expectations
- Allowing more frequent visits to the doctor’s office or clinic (e.g., instead of once every three months) if needed
- Providing support while working through challenging situations
Patients perceive medical errors very personally, and compassion helps prevent that perception.
A study found that patients treated with compassion were more likely to forgive medical errors than those who received an apology. In addition, patients who perceived the healthcare professional as taking responsibility for their treatment were also more forgiving.
Patients can be sensitive to any perceived lack of interest or concern from their healthcare providers. A doctor who seems distant or irritated by a patient’s concerns may leave that patient feeling defensive about their health problems, which can create obstacles to effective diagnoses and treatment plans. Compassionate care can help alleviate these feelings by showing that you care about the well-being of your patient on an individual level—and it can improve outcomes in terms of success rates for treatment regimens and recovery rates from illness or injury!
Compassion has many benefits for healthcare professionals and their patients.
Compassion has many benefits for healthcare professionals and their patients. Compassionate physicians can better establish rapport with their patients, building trust and respect. This can lead to a greater willingness on the part of patients to follow instructions and be honest with doctors, as well as comply with treatment plans. Patients who feel comfortable with their physicians are more likely to return for follow-up visits when needed.
Conclusion
Compassion is a key trait for healthcare professionals. It can help alleviate suffering, improve treatment adherence, reduce medical errors and complaints from patients and their families, and create a more positive environment at every level of care. We are entering an era in which patients are increasingly emotionally involved in their healthcare decisions, so compassion will become even more important for doctors who want to improve the quality of life for those they treat.
