Posted May 29, 2016 in Debra’s Wellness Tips

Empathy Matters

Debra’s Wellness Tips

Patient satisfaction wasn’t influenced by wait time for an appointment or wait time in the office, time spent with the surgeon, resident/fellow involvement, whether or not patients were seeking a second opinion, patients’ health knowledge or type of treatment.

A recent report in Medline Plus from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) says that doctor empathy accounted for 65 percent of patient satisfaction.

Empathy matters, but it does not just matter in patient and doctor relationships. We are hearing much more about empathy matters because humans are wired for empathy, social cooperation, and mutual aid.

Here is a brief summary of the habits of empathy you will want to nurture in yourselves and others, but you will appreciate at least a quick read of this article on the Six Habits of Highly Empathic People:

Habit 1: Cultivate curiosity about strangers

Habit 2: Challenge prejudices and discover commonalities

Habit 3: Try another person’s life

Habit 4: Listen hard—and open up

Habit 5: Inspire mass action and social change

Habit 6: Develop an ambitious imagination

You might enjoy watching the TED talk “How to Start an Empathy Revolution” by Roman Krznaric. We may not all have started out as a HEP (Highly Empathic Person), but we can become more skillful.

This week, make a conscious decision to develop greater empathy. We can override “us-verses-them” tendencies and grow deep roots of empathy in ourselves, our children, and our organizations.

Tips from 5 April 2010 to 6 August 2012 are here: Archived Tips

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“If we have no peace, it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other.” 
~ Mother Teresa