Abstract

Dr. A. Jamuna Rani*, D. Shanmuga Priyaa and Dr. Gayathri Dilliraj

ABSTRACT

Introduction: “Empathy is seeing with the eyes of another, listening with the ears of another and feeling with the heart of another”- Alfred Adler. As the quote implies, empathy is the experience of understanding another person’s thoughts, feelings and conditions from his or her point of view, rather than one’s own. Empathy benefits social relationships. It is beneficial for patients and physicians.[1] Empathy is a crucial component of the patient-physician relationship and has been associated with improved patient outcomes in multiple studies.[2] It facilitates treatment and improves physical and psychosocial outcomes.[1] It is better to be more empathetic than being sympathetic in a situation. Empathy is an active connection. This study is about the perception of empathy of doctors among medical students. It is inevitable for a physician to be empathetic towards their patients. Nowadays patients seek more empathy from their doctors. It is associated with increased patient satisfaction, improved adherence to therapy decreased medical errors, fewer malpractice claims and better outcome. Reflective thinking among 71 medical students regarding their experiences with doctor as a patient was given as an activity. Only 2 of them opposed the fact that doctors should be empathetic, remaining 69 had a common idea about the need for being empathetic towards their patients. This activity underlines the need for empathy. Objective: The objective of our study is to reinforce the need for empathy among the budding physicians. Method: This study is a qualitative study among 1st MBBS students based on reflective thinking about their experience as patients. Results: Interpretation of the feedback reflected that the students as patients seeked more empathy from the physicians. They have also suggested some characters that should be imbibed by a physician while treating a patient and some characters which a doctor should not possess. Conclusion: “Empathy is about finding echoes of another person in yourself”-Mohsin Hamid. Empathy is perceived as one of the individual abilities that defines efficiency in medicine and as an essential condition for patient- centred care. Therefore, this study is an eye-opener for all medical professionals regarding empathy and patient care.