Empathy is different to sympathy which is described as feeling sorry for another person. This does not require us to understand the other person’s point of view, but is an automatic, emotional response. In health care, feeling sympathy for another person can overwhelm us with sorrow and often preclude us from helping.
In recent times, poor communication, including lack of empathetic and caring behaviours, has resulted in an increasing number of complaints against health professionals in Australia.
Shocking cases of maltreatment at a United Kingdom public hospital between 2005 and 2009 reveal the extreme consequences of negligence, poor communication and lack of empathy in health care. Incidents ranged from patients being forced to drink from flower vases to lying in their own excrement. More than 300 deaths were directly linked to this neglect. [...]
Technology has greatly contributed to health professionals’ diminishing levels of empathy.
It has come at the cost of changing the way doctors and nurses interact with their patients. Because there are fewer opportunities for direct patient contact, it hinders the ability to develop a rapport with patients, monitor their non-verbal communication and elicit feedback on the interaction. [...]
The disruptiveness of technology may also be a factor affecting the ability of nurses and doctors to be empathetic and compassionate. Technology encourages multitasking, which is good for efficiency, but can distract health care professionals from important interpersonal interaction with patients.
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