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Commentary: The practice of empathy.

¹Yale Medical School, New Haven, Connecticut, USA. howard.spiro@yale.edu

Academic Medicine : Journal of the Association of American Medical Colleges

|August 27, 2009

Summary

Physician empathy is crucial for patient care. Strategies to enhance physician empathy include careful selection of medical students, targeted training, and adapting medical practice to a changing world.

Area of Science:

Medical Education
Clinical Psychology
Bioethics

Background:

The commentary addresses recent articles on measuring physician empathy.
It explores the nature of empathy, whether it is a thought or an emotion, and its importance in healthcare.

Discussion:

Empathy is fundamental to effective patient care and should be a core professional skill.
The commentary suggests that the debate over empathy's classification is less important than its cultivation.

Key Insights:

Enhancing empathy in healthcare providers is a worthwhile goal.
Key strategies include: 1. Selecting individuals with empathetic potential for medical training. 2. Implementing effective empathy training programs. 3. Re-evaluating the physician's role in a diverse and evolving society.

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Outlook:

Physician empathy can be fostered through mentorship and by creating an environment where listening is valued.
The commentary emphasizes that empathy remains an essential tool for physicians, enabling them to connect with and understand patients' experiences.