Empathy in surgery - Awareness of the quality of life in patients with rectal carcinoma

Even though the importance of empathy for a good physician-patient-relationship is consistently emphasized, there are only a few empirical investigations. In this study the empathy of surgeons was evaluated by asking them to put themselves in the preoperative situation of a patient with a rectal carcinoma. They should state the quality of life from the patient's point of view using the EORTC-QLQ-C30. As a second step the assumed postoperative quality of life of the patients at the point of their discharge from hospital was evaluated. The data collected from the surgeons were compared with the results of a prospective longitudinal analysis of the quality of life of rectal carcinoma patients. As well the preoperative situation of the patients as their situation before discharge from hospital were evaluated more negatively by the surgeons than by the patients themselves. The doctors assumed much more problems and especially a deeper negative impact on the social and emotional acting of the patients. The surgeons and additionally questioned non-medical staff members did not differ in their results, just as the period of employment had no significant influence on the outcome. Accordingly to the results it can be deduced that the patients felt better than the doctors assumed, so that we can advise the surgeons to intensify the empathy in their patients' perception. Therefore, new course curricula should be developed to train the non-technical-skills of health professionals.