Role of kindness in cancer care

Abstract

The wonders of high-tech cancer care are best complemented by the humanity of high-touch care. Simple kindnesses can help to diffuse negative emotions that are associated with cancer diagnosis and treatment—and may even help to improve patients' outcomes. On the basis of our experience in cancer care and research, we propose six types of kindness in cancer care: deep listening, whereby clinicians take the time to truly understand the needs and concerns of patients and their families; empathy for the patient with cancer, expressed by both individual clinicians and the care culture, that seeks to prevent avoidable suffering; generous acts of discretionary effort that go beyond what patients and families expect from a care team; timely care that is delivered by using a variety of tools and systems that reduce stress and anxiety; gentle honesty, whereby the truth is conveyed directly in well-chosen, guiding words; and support for family caregivers, whose physical and mental well-being are vital components of the care their loved ones receive. These mutually reinforcing manifestations of kindness—exhibited by self-aware clinicians who understand that how care is delivered matters—constitute a powerful and practical way to temper the emotional turmoil of cancer for patients, their families, and clinicians themselves.