Uplifting the Human Side of Healthcare

As a speaker with chronic illness, I'm both the performer and the audience every day. Plus: what the research says about PAs, NPs, and empathy in medicine.

As a speaker with chronic illness, each day is improvised. I'm both the performer and the audience, toggling between my public and private struggles. There's an odd kind of empowerment in that vulnerability. Sharing it breaks the stigma and brings the unheard version of the story into the room.

Two things I've been reading this week back that up.

Physician Assistants and Nurse Practitioners spend more time with patients than physicians typically do, and it shows up directly in satisfaction and outcomes. The research is worth a look if you assume the doctor is always the one who matters most in the room: "Comparison of Quality of Care by Advanced Practice Registered Nurses and Physicians".

Medical schools are starting to test for empathy at the entrance exam stage, not just knowledge. The findings back up what patients already know: a doctor's ability to understand illness emotionally changes the quality of care they give. The landmark review is here: "Empathy Decline and Its Reasons: A Systematic Review of Studies With Medical Students and Residents".

And if you want the unfiltered version of what it's actually like to live this, read *Sick* by Porochista Khakpour. It doesn't resolve neatly. Good.