Summary

Empathy and Compassion matter to the patient’s Experience and improved Clinical Outcomes: “Caring from the Heart”

All of us as caregivers will at some time in our life be on the other side and understand what its like to be a patient. All of us will experience what it is like when we have a family member or a friend who is a patient and when that does happen what kind of experience do we want them to have? What do we expect most from our caregivers and how can caregivers deliver that care in a way that positively impacts the patient’s experience and clinical outcome?

The evidence is clear from the book “Compassionomics” that compassion demonstrates improved clinical outcomes when patients are cared for by caregivers who can appreciate what the patient and family is going through and can empathize and demonstrate compassion. Many practical tools and behaviors are provided to make that connection with patients that enables caregivers to improve empathy and compassion.

The presentation will help caregivers to appreciate the three different types of patients that they serve in healthcare. The easy ones, the ones in which you bond right away the patient and the caregiver will find it easy to connect and provide care. The second group is the grumpy and crabby group of patients that are actually just scared and frustrated about their condition and situation and on the outside appear gruff but on the inside needing caregivers to “Step up” and enhance their efforts to empathize and connect with those patients. The last group has about 3% of patients that are almost impossible to please and with that group, I ask caregivers to still do the best job that they know how even though there is a good chance it will not change that patients demeanor or happiness but the caregiver knows in their heart they did the best job possible.

I believe not only does empathy and compassion improve the patient experience but will also lead to improved clinical outcomes and for the caregiver it increases job satisfaction and engagement because providing the best care possible connects with the caregiver’s internal mission of providing excellent care…