Healthcare for Humans Elizabeth Morrison LCSW, MAC Elizabeth - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Healthcare for Humans

Elizabeth Morrison LCSW, MAC Elizabeth Morrison Training and Consulting

• Image; photo of my husband and son;

Image of patient, Lori

Do we really need to talk about Empathy?

• We are already in this field because we have deep concern for others
• We already work for organizations with mission statements to be in

service to those who need it most

• We already sometimes feel heavy or drained with worry and empathy

for others

• Image of being burdened cascade of these initials: PCMH, ACA, TIC,

WPC, Health Homes, PRIME, SBIRT

• Image of being buried by electronic health record work on the

computer

So….why talk about Empathy in Healthcare?

As a field we don’t always do a very good job of demonstrating empathy.

• Images of command signs

• Image of cold waiting room

• Image of person in hospital gown on an exam table

• Image of an ER

• Image of garbage in a parking lot outside healthcare setting

• Image of receptionist behind glass, not looking up

Feeling empathy doesn’t correlate to conveying empathy

• Picture of my mom

What is empathy?

• Word bucket:

Kindness

Caring

Trauma-informed care Therapeutic-alliance

Perspective-taking Understanding

Compassion Rapport Good will

Respect

Humility

Impact of Empathy

• Picture of Carl Rogers

Impact of Empathy on Treatment Outcomes

• Diabetes
• Obesity
• Depression
• Addictive Disorders
• Pain Control
• Anxiety

Impact on Diagnostic Accuracy

• Increases client/patient self disclosure
• Judgement clouds diagnostic decisions

Impact on grievances and litigation

• Lowers client complaints and grievances
• Protective of litigation

Impact on us

• Cognitive empathy vs. affective empathy
• Cognitive empathy = perspective taking, lack judgement
• Affective empathy = feeling the same feeling as the other

Impact on us

• Related to sick days out of work
• Protective of burn out
• Decreases unpleasant interactions
• Increases rewarding interactions
• Improvements in job satisfaction

Skillful empathy conveyance is….

• Treatment
• An evidenced based practice
• Practice based evidence
• Professional obligation
• An organizational imparative

What are core evidenced based empathy techniques?

• Open ended questions
• Reflective listening
• Affirmations
• Acknowledgement of feelings
• Mirroring

Avoid…..

• Conveying Judgement

Limiting….

• Advice “You should…..”
• Cheerleading “you’ll get through it, I know how strong you are”
• Reassurance “don’t worry, he’ll be fine”
• Trying to change feelings “Don’t cry, think positive….”

Environmental Empathy

• Eye contact, goodwill greeting, smile at reception
• Attention to atmosphere: lighting, temperature, beauty
• Limit disrepair, disorganization, neglect
• Avoid command signs

Empathy conveyance is:

• Teachable
• Measurable
• Improvable

Advancing Empathy in our organizations

• Integrate empathy skills in job descriptions
• Hire for empathy skills
• Evaluate for empathy skills
• Train for empathy skills
• Create spaces and processes that facilitate empathy
• Decrease empathy conveyance barriers

• Last slide, image; closing