Caring for Patients

Question 1

Distinguish suffering from physical pain = ?

Caring for Patients

Answer 1

Physical Pain vs Suffering:

(a) Physical Pain:

• Explained by neurology

(b) Suffering:

• The interpretation of physical pain by the individual.
• Extends beyond the physical
• Is a state of distress.

Question 2

Three ways to improve the patient experience = ?

Caring for Patients

Answer 2

Ways to improve the patient experience (and outcomes):

• Empathy
• Listening to patients and engaging them
• Demo that you hear whattheyare experiencing
• Hearing their story (sometimes called “illness narrative”)

Question 3

A verbal account of an illness, interpretations of experiencesof health problems = ?

Caring for Patients

Answer 3

(a) Illness Narrative:

• A verbal account of an illness - interpretations of experiencesof health problems.
• The way to initiate an assessment of pain and suffering.
• First step to reducing suffering and pain is to acknowledge their presence.

(b) PT cannot fully understand anotherperson’s suffering:

• Be respectfuland offer hope through compassion & application of professional skills.
• • Once suffering is reduced to a manageable level, patient can effectively undertakethe rehab process.
• E.g. “neurology of the soul”
• • Not just improving ROM and muscle tone
    Instead… confronting fear, suffering, vulnerability and needing help to summon realistic hope.

Question 4

Personal Concern:

• Sympathy = ?
• Empathy = ?
• Compassion = ?

Caring for Patients

Answer 4

Personal Concern:

(a) Sympathy:

• An emotion of care and concern for others’ difficulties, sorrows or suffering.
• Involves understanding from your own perspective

(b) Empathy:

• Sympathetic identification with others.
• Involves putting yourself in another’s shoes and understanding why they have these particular feelings.
• Combines a cognitive understanding of feelings + at least some tendency to respond with interest (rather than indifference).

(c) Compassion:

• A deep caring response to suffering

(d) Notes:

• Empathy, Sympathy and Compassion are all manifestations of caring.
• The are all emotions of directconcern for others’ well-being, with an active disposition to contribute to their well-being.

Question 5

Medical Good vs. Total good = ?

Caring for Patients

Answer 5

(a) Medical good:

• Patients’ well-being measured in terms of health.

(b) Total good:

• Overall well-being
• E.g. Health, finances, personal matters, family, relationships, spiritual involvement, work

(c) Notes:

• Be aware of how your patient’s Medical good relates to their total good.
• Health as a biopsychosocial experience

Question 6

Spectrums of “Health”

Caring for Patients

Answer 6

Spectrums of “Health”

On one end of the spectrum:
Health defined as the absence of organic maladies
On the other end of the spectrum:
The World Health Organization (WHO) defines health as:
“Health is a state of complete physical, mental and socialwell-beingnot merely the absence of disease or infirmity.”
Agree or disagree?
Do you think this definition threatens to give healthprofessionals toomuch authority in areas of life where theirtraining gives them noexpertise?

Question 7

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Question 8

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Question 9

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Question 10

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Question 11

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Question 12

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Question 13

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Question 14

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Question 15

Caring for Patients