Course Description

Needs Statement

Empathy is the foundation of medical care. There is a profound need to recognize the neurobiological foundations of empathy and the role of empathy in the patient-clinician relationship. Further, there is a need to understand and cultivate empathic communication as a key to providing compassionate care to patients with life-threatening and other serious illnesses.

Intended Audience

All clinicians who treat patients facing life-threatening or other serious illnesses are invited to attend. This symposium is especially relevant to oncologists, primary-care physicians, cardiologists, neurologists, psychiatrists, social workers, hospitalists and intensivists. The symposium is also open to physician assistants, nursepractitioners and nurses.

Course Objectives

At the conclusion of this symposium, the participant will provide better patient care through an increased ability to:

• Describe the roles of a) basic brain emotional systems in psychiatric distress; b) separation distress systems in depression and c) brain care, bonding and play systems in empathy
• Describe the neuroscientific basis of emotions and address the importance of experiencing and labeling emotions to promote clinical change
• Identify the psychodynamics of empathy and how they inform treatment
• Recognize the importance of empathy in the care of patients with serious or life-threatening illness, explain the challenges of empathic relationships between clinician and patient and list strategies for avoiding those challenges
• Describe multiple techniques for communicating with patients coping with serious illness and identify strategies for maintaining empathy in the face of challenging diseases and patient interactions