05/12/2025
Some clinic days feel heavier than others. It is not always because a patient is being difficult. More often, something underneath the surface is shaping the interaction. Fear. Discomfort. Not knowing what comes next. Or simply feeling unseen.
I came across this piece and it struck a chord. It reminded me that empathy is not a soft extra in medicine. It is a working tool, just like any exam or procedure. When a patient pushes back, avoids eye contact, or becomes tense, it rarely means the problem is personal. They may be trying to protect whatever part of themselves feels most exposed in that moment.
What helps is to slow down a little. Ask a question instead of filling the silence. Pay attention to what is not being said. Those small shifts can completely change the direction of a consultation. Empathy is not about agreeing with everything. It is about creating the kind of space where a patient feels safe enough to move forward.
We cannot solve every situation placed in front of us. But the environment we create, and the way we respond, often make more of a difference than we realise. Sometimes that single adjustment shapes the outcome more than the treatment itself.
Worth a read for anyone in clinical work:
https://kevinmd.com/2024/03/challenging-patients-and-the-art-of-empathy.html
