Takeaway
Fredrik Backman's most recent book highlighted empathy—it can remind clinicians that every patient is a rich story waiting to be heard. In learning about our patients, our connections with them deepen and this makes the work more enjoyable.
Lifelong Learning in Clinical Excellence | December 19, 2025 | 1 min read
By Scott Wright, MD, Johns Hopkins Medicine
Fredrik Backman writes beautifully; his books are captivating for many reasons—particularly the character development. While reading his most recent book, “My Friends,” I was struck by the truthful illustration of how quickly we may be thrown from great challenges or losses to highs or joys—and back again. Life is certainly a rollercoaster ride for all.
Healthcare professionals can glean many lessons from this book about patient care from its themes of community, vulnerability, and resilience:
1. Every patient carries invisible burdens.
Backman shows how people’s lives are shaped by unspoken grief, trauma, and loyalties. For clinicians, it’s a reminder that patients bring unseen contexts into the exam room. Asking gentle, open-ended questions and listening without rushing can uncover these deeper layers. These ideas are at the foundation of trauma-informed care.
2. Trust is fragile, but vital.
In “My Friends,” broken trust reverberates through relationships and whole communities. Similarly, in patient care, a single dismissive moment can damage a patient’s confidence. Earning, building, and preserving trust requires honesty, consistency, and humility—especially when things are uncertain.
3. Healing isn’t only about curing.
The novel underscores that people often need acknowledgment, validation, and presence more than solutions. Healthcare professionals can remember that sometimes the most therapeutic act is simply sitting with a patient in their suffering and bearing witness.
4. Communities shape health.
Backman portrays how belonging, or lack of it, influences individual well-being. For providers, this highlights the social determinants of health: the patient is never just a body but part of a larger social and emotional ecosystem that impacts myriad outcomes.
5. Small acts of compassion ripple outward.
In “My Friends,” small gestures—a word of support, a quiet act of kindness—alter the course of characters’ lives. Healthcare professionals can take this to heart: small things like remembering a patient’s story, offering encouragement, or showing humanity during care can have outsized effects.
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This piece expresses the views solely of the author. It does not necessarily represent the views of any organization, including Johns Hopkins Medicine.