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Investigating Pain-Related Avoidance Behavior using a Robotic Arm-Reaching Paradigm
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The avoidance of human suffering.

Julia E Connelly1

  • 1Department of Medicine, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Center of Bioethics and Humanities, Charlottesville, VA 22908, USA. jec8k@virginia.edu

Perspectives in Biology and Medicine
|August 18, 2009
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Physicians often avoid patients experiencing suffering, leading to patient abandonment and physician burnout. Exploring literature can help medical professionals confront and manage their discomfort with patient suffering.

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Area of Science:

  • Medical Humanities
  • Physician Education
  • Patient Care

Background:

  • Patient suffering is prevalent, yet physicians may avoid contact with dying, debilitated, or pained individuals.
  • This avoidance harms patients (abandonment, increased suffering) and physicians (missed opportunities for connection and renewal).

Purpose of the Study:

  • To analyze how literary characters' avoidance of suffering mirrors physicians' tendencies.
  • To highlight the potential of literature in medical education for addressing discomfort with suffering.

Main Methods:

  • Literary analysis of Ernest Gaines's novel "A Lesson Before Dying".
  • Character analysis of Grant Wiggins's avoidance behaviors as a parallel to physician avoidance.
  • Conceptual framework linking literary themes to medical education.

Main Results:

  • Grant Wiggins's avoidance of Miss Emma's suffering illustrates common human and physician tendencies to evade difficult patient encounters.
  • The novel serves as a narrative tool to illuminate physicians' discomfort with suffering.

Conclusions:

  • Recognizing the tendency to avoid suffering is crucial for medical professionals.
  • Literature offers a unique avenue for medical education to address physician discomfort and improve patient care.
  • Integrating humanities into medical training can foster empathy and better management of patient suffering.