Compassionate communication

Abstract

Rapid strides in research and technology, while improving diagnostic and treatment capabilities, have also contributed to an increase in the ‘silo-ing' of information and widening the distances both between patients and doctors and between members of multidisciplinary care teams. Often, as the pace of life in hospitals has increased, not only has the patient been left behind; so has the sense of compassionate care. Over the last twelve years, an exciting experiment in health care communication has been tried, first in the US and more recently in the UK. The Schwartz Centre Rounds (SCR) explores the impact of mutual listening as an important and effective tool for improving patient outcomes and staff satisfaction. By opening themselves to listening to one another, staff and patients begin to treat each other in a more human(e) fashion. The result is greater compassion, reduced stress, and a renewal of meaning in difficult situations. The real value of the SCR does not lie in improving problem-solving amongst professionals, but rather in allowing them to process emotions in a safe and neutral space. This shift is further enhanced by a second feature: The SCR is holistic and participatory. It looks at patient care in a completely ‘new' way. The redistribution of power is a radical idea in modern health care, demolishing the paternalistic ‘doctor knows best' paradigm. It has long been thought that power in medical care can never be equalised, because of the varying levels of expertise and training involved. And yet, the success of the SCR has proven that not only can power be distributed more evenly throughout a care team, it is actually beneficial to all concerned when this occurs. The SCR allows for-and demands-attentiveness, mutual openness to the other, and a certain amount of shared vulnerability.