Being a doctor, I worry that the patient may be uncomfortable about sharing something. It could be sexual dysfunction, an eating disorder, depression, domestic violence - these are serious topics many people don't want to talk about. I'll try to… — Danielle Ofri Copy Share Image
Doctors are taught in medical school that people ususally underreport their alcohol and drug use, so we genreal double the amount we're told. Don't be insulted if your doctor asks follow-up questions about yout drinking. We're trying to be diligent… — Danielle Ofri Copy Share Image
“In general, empathy is easier the more we can identify with someone. When we can genuinely envision ourselves in a situation, it's possible to… — Danielle Ofri Copy Share Image
“How the sadness is handled by the physician has a powerful impact on the medical care received by the patients. If the grief is… — Danielle Ofri Copy Share Image
“Burnout also leads to a large swath of physicians who aren't as empathetic toward their patients as they could be.” — Danielle Ofri Copy Share Image
“Grief ate at these doctors, distracting them from both their families and their patients. Many reported withdrawing from emotional involvement with their patients and… — Danielle Ofri Copy Share Image
“Empathy requires being attuned to the patient's perspective and understanding how the illness is woven into this particular persons' life. Last--and this is where… — Danielle Ofri Copy Share Image
“Hospital life--with its byzantine array of moving parts layered atop the unpredictable rhythms of illness--is a permanent state of flux.” — Danielle Ofri Copy Share Image
“Fear is a primal emotion in medicine. Every doctor can tell you of times when she or he was terrified; most can list more… — Danielle Ofri Copy Share Image
“But I realized that not only did I need to keep tuning my skills as a doctor, I also had to figure out a… — Danielle Ofri Copy Share Image
Being a doctor, I worry that the patient may be uncomfortable about sharing something. It could be sexual dysfunction, an eating disorder, depression, domestic… — Danielle Ofri Copy Share Image
“Empathy--the ability to identify with someone else's suffering--is certainly a prerequisite for a genuine apology.” — Danielle Ofri Copy Share Image
“Neuroscientist Antonio Damasio describes emotions as the "continuous musical line of our minds, the unstoppable humming." This basso continuo thrums along while doctors make… — Danielle Ofri Copy Share Image
“Thus, whatever the medical student has been taught, and even genuinely believes, about the ideals of medicine, the primacy of empathy, the value of… — Danielle Ofri Copy Share Image