Learn how to use empathy to improve your communication and relationship with difficult patients, as well as their outcomes and satisfaction.

Empathy is truly letting yourself step into someone else's experience. While we can never truly know what someone else is going through, the thing I found most helpful is remembering what it's like to experience surgery for the first time. Though surgical procedures have become routine, almost mundane, to us surgeons, for most patients, it's completely foreign. Remember the first time you stepped into an OR, the first time you learned to scrub properly, or what it felt like to interact with a room full of masked strangers. Remember the physical, emotional, and financial stakes at play for the patient. Imagine how you'd want to be treated if you were the one on the operating table.

Empathy builds trust. Listen intently, validating fears and concerns. Mirror emotions, showing "I understand" in words and a calm demeanor ultimately aid. Offer choices and control where possible. Respect boundaries, acknowledging anxieties. With empathy as a bridge, even the most challenging patients can be dealt for optimum outcomes

How can you use empathy to help surgeons work with difficult patients?

Empathy is the ability to understand and share the feelings of another person. It can help you build rapport, trust, and cooperation with your patients, especially when they are facing challenging situations. Empathy can also improve patient outcomes, satisfaction, and adherence to treatment plans. But how can you use empathy to help surgeons work with difficult patients? Here are some tips to help you enhance your empathic skills and communicate effectively with your surgical patients.

1 Identify the source of difficulty

Some patients may be difficult because they are anxious, fearful, angry, or depressed about their condition or surgery. Others may have unrealistic expectations, poor coping skills, or low health literacy. Some may be influenced by their family, culture, or beliefs. And some may simply have different personalities, preferences, or communication styles than you. To use empathy, you need to identify the source of difficulty and tailor your approach accordingly. For example, you can acknowledge their emotions, educate them about their options, involve them in decision-making, or respect their values.

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Khairunnissa Nadeem

Clinical Services Manager | Transformational Healthcare Leader | Surgical Services
Empathy builds trust. Listen intently, validating fears and concerns. Mirror emotions, showing "I understand" in words and a calm demeanor ultimately aid. Offer choices and control where possible. Respect boundaries, acknowledging anxieties. With empathy as a bridge, even the most challenging patients can be dealt for optimum outcomes
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2 Listen actively and attentively

Listening is a key component of empathy. It shows that you care about your patients and want to understand their perspectives. To listen actively and attentively, you need to avoid distractions, interruptions, and judgments. You also need to use verbal and non-verbal cues to show your interest and engagement. For example, you can nod, smile, lean forward, maintain eye contact, or use open-ended questions. You can also paraphrase, summarize, or reflect what your patients say to check your understanding and clarify any confusion.

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3 Express empathy verbally and non-verbally

Empathy is not only a cognitive skill, but also an emotional and behavioral one. You need to express empathy verbally and non-verbally to convey your compassion and support to your patients. To express empathy verbally, you can use statements that validate, normalize, or empathize with your patients' feelings, experiences, or concerns. For example, you can say "I can see how worried you are about the surgery", "It's normal to feel nervous before a procedure", or "I'm sorry you have to go through this". To express empathy non-verbally, you can use gestures, facial expressions, or touch that match your words and tone. For example, you can offer a warm smile, a gentle pat, or a reassuring hug.

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Amanda B. Hill

Advocate for doctors, healthcare lawyer, distinguished speaker
This is often hard for doctors. I know it's basic and seems obvious, but sometimes practicing this with staff can be helpful. You don't want to just say to a very linear surgeon who isn't good with this stuff just to "be nicer and express empathy." They need to be taught and train, just like they did to perform clinical skills! Sit with them, role play being a patient, and have them practice using phrases they think may seem "silly" to say but really mean a lot to patients.
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Colleen S. CLT, LSO, CASCC, MACP

"Attitude is the difference between an ordeal and an adventure!"
In my years of experience of working with physicians in all specialties, I have found that teaching the provider to ask themselves this ONE question before speaking with a patient which is, "How would I react if another physician said that to me in that manner?" So far, that question has worked for everyone-that question and the best one, if the provider has time, is to have the provider BE the patient so they can see exactly how they want to be treated throughout the entire process. I was a preceptor for family medicine residents at TX Tech, I had the residents cross-train in each process from enactment as the patient to shadowing each dept head of the clinics/hospitals as part of the resident's rotations. Lots of lessons learned!
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4 Manage your own emotions and boundaries

Empathy can be emotionally draining, especially when you work with difficult patients who have complex or chronic conditions. You may feel overwhelmed, frustrated, or burned out by their demands, complaints, or resistance. To use empathy effectively, you need to manage your own emotions and boundaries. You need to recognize and regulate your feelings, cope with stress, and seek support when needed. You also need to set realistic and respectful limits with your patients, communicate clearly and assertively, and avoid taking things personally or defensively.

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Charity Hix, MD

Burnout and Wellness Coach for Introverts in Healthcare | Nature-Inspired | ICF-Certified
Empathy is truly letting yourself step into someone else's experience. While we can never truly know what someone else is going through, the thing I found most helpful is remembering what it's like to experience surgery for the first time. Though surgical procedures have become routine, almost mundane, to us surgeons, for most patients, it's completely foreign. Remember the first time you stepped into an OR, the first time you learned to scrub properly, or what it felt like to interact with a room full of masked strangers. Remember the physical, emotional, and financial stakes at play for the patient. Imagine how you'd want to be treated if you were the one on the operating table.
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Tracy L Davis, MD, PhD

Pathologist | Dermatopathologist | Life Coach (ICF-ACC, ELI-MP) | Physician Leader | Author | Passionate about Personalized Medicine
How we manage our own emotions is largely learned from what we observed when we were young. The good news is that it is a skill set that can be learned and practiced. As professionals, we are trained to be objective and to keep our emotions in check. It can be emotionally draining to spend time with patients facing difficult and complex health problems. Processing those emotions in a healthy way is also a skill set that can be learned and practiced. If one learns how to effectively process the emotions which surface when taking care of patients, then expressing empathy becomes much less detrimental to one's own mental health. We need to prioritize better mental wellbeing for doctors because it is integral to empathy at the bedside.
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5 Seek feedback and improvement

Empathy is not a fixed trait, but a learnable skill. You can improve your empathy by seeking feedback and improvement. You can ask your patients, colleagues, or mentors for their opinions, suggestions, or compliments on your empathic communication. You can also observe, learn from, or model after other empathic surgeons or health professionals. You can also read, watch, or listen to stories, books, or podcasts that broaden your perspective and understanding of your patients' diverse backgrounds, cultures, or experiences.

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6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?

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How can you use empathy to help surgeons work with difficult patients?

1

2

3

4

5

6

1 Identify the source of difficulty

2 Listen actively and attentively

3 Express empathy verbally and non-verbally

4 Manage your own emotions and boundaries

5 Seek feedback and improvement

6 Here’s what else to consider

Working with Physicians

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How can you use empathy to help surgeons work with difficult patients?

1

2

3

4

5

6

1 Identify the source of difficulty

2 Listen actively and attentively

3 Express empathy verbally and non-verbally

4 Manage your own emotions and boundaries

5 Seek feedback and improvement

6 Here’s what else to consider

Working with Physicians

Rate this article

Thanks for your feedback

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