Dec
20
Here’s an article in today’s Daily Cancer News by Lynda Mandell, MD, PhD, FACR. It’s a provocative and balanced article the underscores the “non-physical needs” of cancer patients - the depression, anxiety, guilt, and daily attacks on self-esteem. These non-physical aspects of cancer can undermine a patient’s ability to adhere to treatment. The suggestion is that doctors attend to these psychological needs as well as the physical ones.
There are two rubs: The one Lynda mentions - even though oncologists are empathetic, they may not have skills particular to handling their patients’ psychological distress. The other, Lynda doesn’t mention - oncology has among the highest burn out rates of any specialty for doctors and nurses.
Google oncology and burnout and you’ll find page after page of reports. Here are just a couple.
- The results of a 6-year study found that 42% of oncology employees have a high score of emotional exhaustion and a low score of personal accomplishment, indicating high levels of burnout.
- Dr. Pauline Chen quoted a a study published this year in the Archives of Internal Medicine. Oncologists missed 384 opportunities to respond empathetically to their patients (or about 90% of the emotional overtures patients made).
The upshot is this: oncologists need empathy themselves. Psycho-Oncology, as admirable as it is, is asking the depleted to care for the exhausted. Who’s caring for the doctors and nurses who care for our loved ones?