A physician in your team is struggling with empathy. How can you give feedback that helps them improve?

After deciding whether it is a behavioral issue or lack of skills, it's essential to delve into the underlying factors contributing to the problem. This may involve considering external stressors such as heavy workloads, long hours, or challenging patient cases that can exacerbate feelings of burnout and compassion fatigue. Personal issues, such as unresolved conflicts, mental health concerns, or struggles in their personal lives, may also influence their ability to empathize with others. By recognizing and addressing these root causes with empathy and support, we can create a supportive environment conducive to the physician's growth and well-being.

Handling a doctor who lacks empathy needs to be done carefully. Here's a methodical approach: 1. Observe: Make a note of certain situations in which empathy was weak. 2. Discuss the impact this behavior has on the morale of the staff and the patients. 3. Private Feedback: Provide comments in a non-confrontational, private context. 4. Put Growth First: Stress that improvement, not criticism, is the main objective. 5. Provide Resources: Make recommendations for courses or training on patient communication and empathy. 6. Follow-Up: Suggest routine check-ins to talk about developments and difficulties. Positively phrased constructive criticism has the power to inspire change and improve patient care.

A escuta ativa nesse momento pode trazer informações relevantes sobre a causa e a possibilidade de auxiliar a buscar ajuda e resolver o problema. Todo profissional é antes de tudo um ser humano com suas dores e sofrimentos. Reforçar as qualidades da pessoa também é uma forma de empatia.

Usar a situação para o feedback ajuda a pessoa a entender e direcionar a conversa para os fatos. O uso de uma linguagem clara no momento do feedback, incluindo uma escuta ativa fornece ferramentas positivas para a resolução do problema.

O reconhecimento justo é engajador nas atividades, principalmente em um processo de desenvolvimento. São comentários aos fatos e mostram à pessoa que não está sozinha e suas atitudes são importantes para toda instituição.

Empathy doesn’t come from didactic instruction or annual webinars. It comes from lived experience. I believe the most effective approach to inspiring empathy is to have a town hall type of setting where patients can share their actual experiences and emotions safely and freely. In this way, empathy will be caught rather than taught.