Compassion [kuhm–pash-uhn] noun
A feeling of deep sympathy and sorrow for another who is stricken by misfortune, accompanied by a strong desire to alleviate the suffering.

Compassion Corner is a weekly series from Patient Worthy that will focus on the subject of compassion in the healthcare and rare disease space. In this series, we explore the role of compassion in this field and what it means for caregivers, patients, and others.

In an article he wrote for the Greater Good Magazine, a doctor describes the moment he realized that his frustration with the patient was leading him in the wrong direction.

He describes entering “Mr. B’s” hospital room and reviewing his chart. The ER doctor made several notations about Mr. B’s continuing to smoke despite his regular emergency visits to the ER to be treated for advanced emphysema.

As he scanned Mr. B’s chart the doctor admits his feelings of frustration and felt it would be best if he stepped out of the room to try to compose himself. While standing in the hall he saw a colleague and told her of his frustration with this patient. He explained that Mr. B kept coming back to the hospital every two weeks but still refused to stop smoking.

He had to admit that he was having trouble feeling any compassion for Mr. B.

His colleague understood. She suggested that he re-evaluate his concept of compassion if he truly wants to do the right thing for his patient. She said that with a different attitude he will be better able to take care of his patient and of himself as well.

Healthcare and Compassion

An all-out effort to be compassionate, just as healthcare demands, can be stressful. The answer, although difficult, is to create a balance.

The doctor looked back over his career and remembered how he always made an effort to be there for his patients. Yet he had to admit that although at times the results were favorable, there were also times when he felt irritated and inadequate.

He had assumed that the irritation was a given for people in the medical field, but it also gave him feelings of failure. He began to think that his colleague was right. He must gain a deeper understanding of how to be sincerely compassionate.

 The True Meaning of Compassion

The doctor agrees with the definition of compassion as sensitivity to the suffering and pain of another with the sincere desire to help that person.

The cycle begins with compassion in healthcare. The first step in working with a patient is usually to go into a problem-solving mode. This is not always advisable when attempting a diagnosis. It is suggested that the physician begins by spending time observing the patient.

The second part of the cycle is more difficult. A balance. Doctors must engage emotionally and intellectually with the patient, yet at the same time there must be a reasonable detachment.

Considerations

• Mindfulness – slow down and be mindful of events surrounding the patient and also within ourselves without being judgmental. Mindfulness requires practice.
  • The doctor realizes now that he was looking for a simple answer and as a result, he instinctively made judgments that had negative effects on the doctor and patient wellbeing. He acknowledges that compassion is lost when the doctor is in a strict problem-solving mode.
• Technology has changed the doctor/patient relationship. The doctor says that from the minute he begins to gather information about a patient, he is really creating a diagnosis. If the doctor is introduced to the patient via a virtual appointment, he admits that when he finally does see the patient he is looking past him to symptoms of his disease.
• Again the doctor emphasizes slowing down and not missing what the patient is really experiencing. Slowing down will allow the doctors to have a greater sense of how their patient’s health impacts their family and their life. He also revisits his frustration with Mr. B, even before he spoke with him.

The doctor reminds us that thinking in a care-taking mode activates the dopamine reward part of the brain. It promotes connecting with others and the joy we receive by helping others. Patients need compassion and healthcare workers, who may experience emotional overload, need to replenish their energy and determination to help.

Note that the doctor’s essay was inspired by an Oxford Handbook edited by Emiliana Simon-Thomas et al.