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Physician Compassion in EM (It’s More Important than You Might Think)

By Anton Helman, MD, CCFP(EM), FCFP | on April 14, 2020 | 0 Comment
EM Cases
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References

  1. AMA Principles of Medical Ethics. American Medical Association website. Accessed March 28, 2020.
  2. Hojat M, Vergare MJ, Maxwell K, et al. The devil is in the third year: a longitudinal study of erosion of empathy in medical school. Acad Med. 2009;84(9):1182-1191.
  3. Neumann M, Edelhäuser F, Tauschel D, et al. Empathy decline and its reasons: a systematic review of studies with medical students and residents. Acad Med. 2011;86(8):996-1009.
  4. Fogarty LA, Curbow BA, Wingard JR, et al. Can 40 seconds of compassion reduce patient anxiety? J Clin Oncol. 1999;17(1):371-379.
  5. Brown RF, Butow PN, Dunn SM , et al. Promoting patient participation and shortening cancer consultations: a randomised trial. Br J Cancer. 2001;85(9):1273-1279.
  6. Moss J, Roberts MB, Shea L, et al. Healthcare provider compassion is associated with lower PTSD symptoms among patients with life-threatening medical emergencies: a prospective cohort study. Intensive Care Med. 2019;45(6):815-822.
  7. Pereira L, Figueiredo-Braga M, Carvalho IP. Preoperative anxiety in ambulatory surgery: the impact of an empathic patient-centered approach on psychological and clinical outcomes. Patient Educ Couns. 2016;99(5):733-738.
  8. Stewart MA. Effective physician-patient communication and health outcomes: a review. CMAJ. 1995;152(9):1423-1433.
  9. Roter DL, Hall JA, Merisca R, et al. Effectiveness of interventions to improve patient compliance: a meta-analysis. Med Care. 1998;36(8):1138-1161.
  10. Shanafelt TD, Balch CM, Bechamps G, et al. Burnout and medical errors among American surgeons. Ann Surg. 2010;251(6):995-1000.
  11. Jeffrey D. Empathy, sympathy and compassion in healthcare: Is there a problem? Is there a difference? Does it matter? J R Soc Med. 2016;109(12):446-452.
  12. Raposa EB, Laws HB, Ansell EB. Prosocial behavior mitigates the negative effects of stress in everyday life. Clin Psychol Sci. 2016;4(4):691-698.
  13. Smith D, Kellar J, Walters EL, et al. Does emergency physician empathy reduce thoughts of litigation? A randomized trial. Emerg Med J. 2016;33(8):548-552.
  14. College complaints on the rise: Better communication can help. 2018. Canadian Medical Protective Association website. Accessed March 28, 2020.
  15. Orzol S, Keith R, Hossain M, et al. The impact of a health information technology-focused patient-centered medical neighborhood program among Medicare beneficiaries in primary care practices: the effect on patient outcomes and spending. Med Care. 2018;56(4):299-307.
  16. Bertakis KD, Azari R. Patient-centered care is associated with decreased health care utilization. J Am Board Fam Med. 2011;24(3):229-239.
  17. Redelmeier DA, Molin JP, Tibshirani RJ. A randomised trial of compassionate care for the homeless in an emergency department. Lancet. 1995;345(8958):1131-1134.
  18. Marvel MK, Epstein RM, Flowers K, et al. Soliciting the patient’s agenda: have we improved? JAMA. 1999;281(3):283-287.

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ACEP Now: Vol 39 – No 04 – April 2020

Pages: 1 2 3 4 | Single Page

Topics: compassionate careMedical Humanities

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About the Author

Anton Helman, MD, CCFP(EM), FCFP

Dr. Helman is an emergency physician at North York General Hospital in Toronto. He is an assistant professor at the University of Toronto, Division of Emergency Medicine, and the education innovation lead at the Schwartz/Reisman Emergency Medicine Institute. He is the founder and host of Emergency Medicine Cases podcast and website (www.emergencymedicinecases.com).

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