Helen Riess, M.D. — Why Empathy Matters
At a time when physicians and medical clinicians are burdened with higher patient loads, technological changes, increased regulation, and always-on schedules, who has the time and energy for adding empathetic interactions into the mix?
Dr. Helen Riess, associate clinical professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical and cofounder of Empathetics, Inc., argues that both physicians and patients will get better outcomes when physicians practice empathy...and that it doesn’t have to add an extra 10 minutes per patient visit. Through Empathetics Inc., she provides empathy training for physicians, resulting in more positive connections with patients, which leads to increased satisfaction for both parties.
Everyone has empathy, but some have a greater capacity for it. In today’s episode we discuss the three elements of empathy, the barriers to empathy, and how to overcome those barriers.
In today’s episode you’ll learn:
- How Dr. Riess’ musical background prepared her for career today
- About the power of empathy -- what it is and what it isn’t
- The barriers to empathy in clinical settings
- How to more fully engage and connect with others
- How connection and empathy can impact the bottom line in healthcare
LINKS FROM TODAY’S EPISODE
- Empathetics, Inc
- Dr. Riess’s TEDTalk
- The Empathy Effect by Dr. Helen Riess
- Find Dr. Riess on Twitter and LinkedIn
