SEATTLE, March 1 (UPI) -- U.S. researchers said acting techniques could help doctors show more empathy with their patients to promote the healing process.
Researchers at the University of Washington Business School and Group Health Cooperative said their studies suggest doctors could use two dramatic techniques, either separately or in combination, to promote empathy. They include deep acting, or using the imagination and emotional memories to generate genuine feelings, and surface acting, or using emotional expressions to convey the perception of feelings.
Deep acting is preferable, however, they said, because it makes doctors more effective healers. Doctors also seem to enjoy greater professional satisfaction and less professional burnout when they practice deep acting.
Nevertheless, doctors may have to rely on surface acting when genuine empathy seems impossible. Surface acting may be needed, the researchers said, in situations in which the doctor's values or beliefs conflict with the patient's.
"Empathy is essential to healing relationships, so it's something all health professionals should be expected to show, even when it's hard to do so," said Eric B. Larson co-author of a commentary in the March 2 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
