The importance of physician-patient communication cannot be understated. But what happens when the interaction is less than ideal, when the provider struggles to connect, or empathize, with the patient? Empathy is important in medicine—it has been linked with patient experience, better outcomes and decreased physician burnout. It’s even part of the new MCAT.

Dr. Helen Riess is the Director of the Empathy and Relational Science Program at Massachusetts General Hospital and the creator of “Empathetics,” a series of online courses for physicians on the issue. Dr. Jesse Pines is the Director of the George Washington University Office for Clinical Practice Innovation and a Professor of Emergency Medicine and Health Policy. Visit our website for more information about OCPI. 

Learn more about Empathetics here.