Researchers looked at the relationships between 137 patients and their oncologists or thoracic surgeons and found that even when the patients seemed to ask or need some understanding their doctors were cold and unfeeling.
The doctors of course did respond to physical concerns about pain and things of that nature however they did not even try to satisfy patients emotional needs even when it was a matter of life or death.
These are examples of doctor/patient interactions from the archives of a Veterans hospital.
“Patient: But this is kind of overwhelming, you know…I’ve had anxiety problems before. I go to the [mental health clinic]…
Doctor: Okay.”
Here’s another,
“Patient: …I worked very hard when I was a young man, young boy. I was doing a man’s labor and was always told I had a good strong heart and lungs. But the lungs couldn’t withstand all that cigarettes…
Physician: Yeah.
Patient: …asbestos and pollution and second-hand smoke and all that other stuff, I guess.”
Physician: Do you have glaucoma?”
…and one more,
“Patient: I don’t know what the average person does in just two years, three years, a year?
Physician: I think that you certainly could live two or three years. I think it would be very unlikely … But I would say that an average figure would be several months to a year to a little bit more.”
At first it was thought that maybe the doctors weren’t responding because they were too busy, but it was found that other doctors who had empathy for their patients actually spent less time with them.
They suspect the real reason the doctors lack empathy is that they would then identify with patients they maybe could not save and would see themselves as failures. It’s also thought they may be reminded of their own mortality.
Quotes from Los Angeles Times