The Meaning of Empathy in Patient Care Became Real the Day I Was Diagnosed with Acute Leukemia

When patients seek health care, most often they are looking for an expert in disease prevention and treatment. Optimal health care, however, addresses more than treatment of a disease or symptomatic relief that is offered using therapeutic measures such as medication, surgery, or radiotherapy. Effective treatment of a patient transcends beyond this and addresses patient fears, anxieties, and other symptoms and issues beyond the physical. I know from personal experience that addressing matters such as emotional wellbeing and social issues in an empathetic manner is an essential complement to conventional treatment of a physical disease and further strengthens the patient- physician bond.