Prof Tay Yong Kwang is a Senior Consultant Dermatologist with over 30 years of experience in healthcare. In 2015, he was appointed as ADIO, CGH in SingHealth Residency and has since contributed immensely to Residency training and education in SingHealth. An empathetic clinician who always has the best interest for his patients and looks out for our junior clinicians, Prof Tay shares with us his perspective on Empathy and how it plays an important role in Medicine.
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What is Empathy in Medicine to you?
Personally, I like the definition by C JoyBell most – Empathy is the ability to step outside of your own bubble and into another person’s bubble. It is a skill that doctors should develop and inculcate.
By being empathetic to our patients, we show that we understand and recognise their feelings, which helps our patients build trust and feel more comfortable during their healthcare journey with us. This is key to improving the doctor-patient relationship, bringing about higher level of patient satisfaction, increasing adherence to medications, and possibly decreasing malpractice claims.
Empathy in Medicine doesn’t just refer to patients, but also refers to being more understanding of our co-workers in healthcare. COVID-19 has been really hard on medical professionals. As we try to keep our patients safe, we should also exercise Empathy towards ourselves and support our (and those around us) physical and psychological well-being as one healthcare team.
Medical training focuses on teaching diagnostic and technical skills but often falls short on teaching us how to connect with our patients. While there are talks and lectures in schools teaching us how to develop Empathy and communicate with patients, when it comes to the working world, it is very different. We have to go along with the flow of things and go through the real-world experience of interacting with patients to develop Empathy in our own style.
Recently, I had an unusual encounter with an elderly patient with eczema. Her daughter was insistent on admitting her into the hospital even though I conveyed that the hospital was full and it was not a good idea to admit her mum due to risks of catching other infections. I was curious and decided to probe a bit more. Upon speaking to the daughter, I found out that she was actually feeling very helpless as both the helper and her did not know how to take care of her mum’s skin condition, and therefore, wanted her mum to be admitted so that the doctors and nurses can help to take proper care of her. Without getting the mum admitted, I tried to relieve the daughter’s worries by asking the nurses to teach the helper and her how to properly dress the wounds, and how to apply the creams etc. This is how we can show Empathy, by listening and trying to understand our patients and their caregivers and do our best to make their lives easier.
Human connection is an essential part of being a good doctor, but in practice, this may be difficult in a busy clinic. This can be overcome by building on communication strategies that can help your patients (and even your colleagues) feel heard.
Maintain Eye Contact
Firstly, it is important to start the conversation by making eye contact, which is essential for establishing a connection with the patient, especially when masks are worn and electronic medical records are used. More often than not, the doctor is busy typing away at the computer with his back to the patient, making the patient feel that he or she is talking to a computer.
In my practice, I write on a piece of paper, giving my full attention to the patient and after the patient has left the room, I will enter the essential points into the system. If I am busy, I will do it at the end of the clinic session. This takes more time, but is worth the effort in establishing rapport.
Maintain Positive Body Language
Secondly, positive body language is important. For example, avoid folding your arms across your body. Instead, give a nod to acknowledge that you are listening and where possible, summarise what you have heard to demonstrate that you understand them.
Respond to their Emotional Needs
Be curious about your patients by asking them how their symptoms are affecting their lives, and what is impacting them currently. Show that you understand and recognise their feelings. It is essential to support them by responding to both their emotional and medical needs. This helps to allay their concerns and fears, allowing them to feel more comfortable with you and build trust in you.
Have an Open Mind
Lastly, do not be judgmental about the patients’ conditions, for example, when dealing with sexually transmitted infections. Have an open mind, listen to the patients and find a common ground. Place yourself at your patients’ level, and treat your patients the way you would want yourself to be treated.
Empathy is an important skill to develop; it is essential in helping our patients feel heard, and ensure that their concerns are being acknowledged. I believe in walking the talk and that demonstrating Empathy should start at the workplace. When we cultivate a good culture of Empathy at the workplace where colleagues are supportive and look out for one another, this culture will naturally flow back to us and benefit our patients. This is what I hope to see in our future generations of doctors. :)
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