I’m tired of hearing that physicians ought to be more empathetic. Let me tell you something. The doctors I know have toiled for years to be good — no, great — at what they do. They work tirelessly to learn medicine, to stay on top of new developments, to make the right diagnosis, and to prescribe the right treatments.
Doctors Do Care
So, why do they go to all this trouble? Because they care. They care about their patients.
Don’t tell me physicians aren’t empathetic. We care deeply for our patients. But sadly, even some physicians underestimate how much doctors care about their patients. Oh, they know how much they themselves care, but they often underestimate how much other doctors care about their patients.
Doctors know their patients are suffering, and they want to give their patients the best possible medical care. At the same time, doctors believe they are giving their patients the best possible medical care. But this may not always be enough for some patients.
Medical Expertise ISN’T Enough
What’s amazing to me is that patients don’t realize just how much doctors care. Doctors can be extremely efficient at what they do. We dermatologists are probably the epitome of that. We can enter a room, make a correct diagnosis from the doorway, and have the right prescription written by the time we’re ready to shake hands with the patient. We can feel pretty smug about it, too, knowing that all the effort we put in to get this good at what we do will help this patient get better. We care deeply about this patient and know we’re giving them the best possible medical care.
But, in reality, the patient may not realize this is the best possible medical care. They just see — from their own perception — a physician who waltzes in and out, taking neither the time to do an adequate examination nor to carefully consider the treatment options.
What Patients Really Want
I regularly survey my patients’ satisfaction. Here’s actual feedback I received from one patient: “The actual results of the care (prescriptions and treatment) were excellent and accurate, but it would be appreciated if Dr. Feldman would spend more than 3 minutes with a patient at a time, and make an effort to ask about history and what medications and treatments the patient has tried before seeking dermatological care. A more thorough examination would also be appreciated.” Let me reiterate the key point: “The actual results of the care (prescriptions and treatment) were excellent and accurate, but ….” But …? The treatment was excellent and accurate, but …?
This patient was fully aware that I provided the best possible medical care, but still wasn’t satisfied. Such patients don’t complain because my diagnosis or treatment is wrong; they complain because I’m not empathetic. Or, to be more accurate, they complain because I don’t appear to be empathetic.
Show That You Care
It isn’t enough to be empathetic. Patients need us to appear empathetic. In fact, one might wonder if it isn’t more important to appear to be empathetic than it is to actually be empathetic. Ever heard the expression: “If you can fake sincerity, you’ve got it made?” How apropos of patient care!
Patients want an empathetic physician. It’s a key component to a satisfied patient. Surely satisfying our patients is something we want to do. It is a goal in itself. On top of that, more satisfied patients are less likely to file lawsuits or complain.1 And, they’re more likely to have a good clinical outcome!2
It’s great that you worked so hard to become a fabulous physician. Keep paying attention to your Continuing Medical Education, so that you can stay abreast of current medicine. But on top of that, be aware of your patients’ perceptions. Make sure they understand how much you care about them.
Steven R. Feldman, M.D., Ph.D.
Chief Medical Editor
I’m tired of hearing that physicians ought to be more empathetic. Let me tell you something. The doctors I know have toiled for years to be good — no, great — at what they do. They work tirelessly to learn medicine, to stay on top of new developments, to make the right diagnosis, and to prescribe the right treatments.
Doctors Do Care
So, why do they go to all this trouble? Because they care. They care about their patients.
Don’t tell me physicians aren’t empathetic. We care deeply for our patients. But sadly, even some physicians underestimate how much doctors care about their patients. Oh, they know how much they themselves care, but they often underestimate how much other doctors care about their patients.
Doctors know their patients are suffering, and they want to give their patients the best possible medical care. At the same time, doctors believe they are giving their patients the best possible medical care. But this may not always be enough for some patients.
Medical Expertise ISN’T Enough
What’s amazing to me is that patients don’t realize just how much doctors care. Doctors can be extremely efficient at what they do. We dermatologists are probably the epitome of that. We can enter a room, make a correct diagnosis from the doorway, and have the right prescription written by the time we’re ready to shake hands with the patient. We can feel pretty smug about it, too, knowing that all the effort we put in to get this good at what we do will help this patient get better. We care deeply about this patient and know we’re giving them the best possible medical care.
But, in reality, the patient may not realize this is the best possible medical care. They just see — from their own perception — a physician who waltzes in and out, taking neither the time to do an adequate examination nor to carefully consider the treatment options.
What Patients Really Want
I regularly survey my patients’ satisfaction. Here’s actual feedback I received from one patient: “The actual results of the care (prescriptions and treatment) were excellent and accurate, but it would be appreciated if Dr. Feldman would spend more than 3 minutes with a patient at a time, and make an effort to ask about history and what medications and treatments the patient has tried before seeking dermatological care. A more thorough examination would also be appreciated.” Let me reiterate the key point: “The actual results of the care (prescriptions and treatment) were excellent and accurate, but ….” But …? The treatment was excellent and accurate, but …?
This patient was fully aware that I provided the best possible medical care, but still wasn’t satisfied. Such patients don’t complain because my diagnosis or treatment is wrong; they complain because I’m not empathetic. Or, to be more accurate, they complain because I don’t appear to be empathetic.
Show That You Care
It isn’t enough to be empathetic. Patients need us to appear empathetic. In fact, one might wonder if it isn’t more important to appear to be empathetic than it is to actually be empathetic. Ever heard the expression: “If you can fake sincerity, you’ve got it made?” How apropos of patient care!
Patients want an empathetic physician. It’s a key component to a satisfied patient. Surely satisfying our patients is something we want to do. It is a goal in itself. On top of that, more satisfied patients are less likely to file lawsuits or complain.1 And, they’re more likely to have a good clinical outcome!2
It’s great that you worked so hard to become a fabulous physician. Keep paying attention to your Continuing Medical Education, so that you can stay abreast of current medicine. But on top of that, be aware of your patients’ perceptions. Make sure they understand how much you care about them.
Steven R. Feldman, M.D., Ph.D.
Chief Medical Editor
I’m tired of hearing that physicians ought to be more empathetic. Let me tell you something. The doctors I know have toiled for years to be good — no, great — at what they do. They work tirelessly to learn medicine, to stay on top of new developments, to make the right diagnosis, and to prescribe the right treatments.
Doctors Do Care
So, why do they go to all this trouble? Because they care. They care about their patients.
Don’t tell me physicians aren’t empathetic. We care deeply for our patients. But sadly, even some physicians underestimate how much doctors care about their patients. Oh, they know how much they themselves care, but they often underestimate how much other doctors care about their patients.
Doctors know their patients are suffering, and they want to give their patients the best possible medical care. At the same time, doctors believe they are giving their patients the best possible medical care. But this may not always be enough for some patients.
Medical Expertise ISN’T Enough
What’s amazing to me is that patients don’t realize just how much doctors care. Doctors can be extremely efficient at what they do. We dermatologists are probably the epitome of that. We can enter a room, make a correct diagnosis from the doorway, and have the right prescription written by the time we’re ready to shake hands with the patient. We can feel pretty smug about it, too, knowing that all the effort we put in to get this good at what we do will help this patient get better. We care deeply about this patient and know we’re giving them the best possible medical care.
But, in reality, the patient may not realize this is the best possible medical care. They just see — from their own perception — a physician who waltzes in and out, taking neither the time to do an adequate examination nor to carefully consider the treatment options.
What Patients Really Want
I regularly survey my patients’ satisfaction. Here’s actual feedback I received from one patient: “The actual results of the care (prescriptions and treatment) were excellent and accurate, but it would be appreciated if Dr. Feldman would spend more than 3 minutes with a patient at a time, and make an effort to ask about history and what medications and treatments the patient has tried before seeking dermatological care. A more thorough examination would also be appreciated.” Let me reiterate the key point: “The actual results of the care (prescriptions and treatment) were excellent and accurate, but ….” But …? The treatment was excellent and accurate, but …?
This patient was fully aware that I provided the best possible medical care, but still wasn’t satisfied. Such patients don’t complain because my diagnosis or treatment is wrong; they complain because I’m not empathetic. Or, to be more accurate, they complain because I don’t appear to be empathetic.
Show That You Care
It isn’t enough to be empathetic. Patients need us to appear empathetic. In fact, one might wonder if it isn’t more important to appear to be empathetic than it is to actually be empathetic. Ever heard the expression: “If you can fake sincerity, you’ve got it made?” How apropos of patient care!
Patients want an empathetic physician. It’s a key component to a satisfied patient. Surely satisfying our patients is something we want to do. It is a goal in itself. On top of that, more satisfied patients are less likely to file lawsuits or complain.1 And, they’re more likely to have a good clinical outcome!2
It’s great that you worked so hard to become a fabulous physician. Keep paying attention to your Continuing Medical Education, so that you can stay abreast of current medicine. But on top of that, be aware of your patients’ perceptions. Make sure they understand how much you care about them.
Steven R. Feldman, M.D., Ph.D.
Chief Medical Editor
