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June 13, 2024 | 2 min read

Lightening the load

By Susan Lehmann, MD, Johns Hopkins Medicine

Clinicians can prioritize patient well-being by discussing the burden of engaging in care. Collaborate with patients to ensure recommendations are feasible and consider alternative approaches if necessary.

August 6, 2019 | 2 min read

3 Lessons From Your Patient’s Impatience

By Iro Filippaki, PhD, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine

The excellent clinician acknowledges their patient's impatience and frustration. In doing so, relationships with patients and clinical outcomes may be improved.

March 1, 2018 | 2 min read

Individualized Medicine Calls Me Back to Patient Stories

By Tom Laskow, MD, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine

New thinking mirrors old wisdom: to understand this manifestation of disease, understand this patient.

October 13, 2022 | 1 min read

Asking Hard Questions

By Thuy Ngo, DO, MEd, Johns Hopkins Medicine

In the ED, my adolescent patient shared that she was being sexually abused. It reminded me of the importance of creating a safe space for courageous conversations.

April 10, 2025 | 2 min read

Full disclosure

I wrote this poem to highlight the profound impact of truly listening to patients. This may be especially critical when patients are suffering and the diagnosis remains a mystery.

November 17, 2020 | 4 min read

Allyship and Upstanding

By Geoff Stetson, MD, UCSF

It’s critical to promote a culture of emotional safety in your clinical setting. Offer support and speak up when you witness hurtful incidents.

March 2, 2025 | 1 min read

Art for hope

By William Stoehr, artist, Boulder, Colorado

My artwork portrays the pain and loss experienced by those affected by substance use disorders. I hope it helps clinicians gain a deeper understanding of the human cost of stigma, prompting more empathetic and nonjudgmental patient interactions.

February 24, 2025 | 2 min read

Listening to find answers

By Michael Albert, MD, Johns Hopkins Medicine

To more accurately arrive at the diagnosis, it is generally wise to believe patients’ recounting of their symptoms and experiences. This can result in uncovering medical conditions that are sometimes labeled as being more generalized—like anxiety—and lead to improved patient outcomes.

November 19, 2019 | 2 min read

Aging Isn’t a Dirty Word

By Sharon Inouye, MD, MPH, Encore Public Voices Fellowship, and Marcus Institute for Aging Research, Hebrew SeniorLife, Harvard Medical School

To many, "aging" and "old" are considered dirty words. Clinicians should fight ageism.

October 24, 2024 | 2 min read

The heat is on: How to keep patients cool and safe

Rising temperatures due to climate change affect patients of all ages, particularly those with chronic health conditions. Counsel patients on strategies to prevent heat-related medical complications.

January 17, 2024 | 1 min read

“I’m not comfortable”

By Jeffrey Millstein, MD, Penn Medicine

Patients sometimes ask for interventions that conflict with clinical best practice. The most effective responses are ones that focus on patients’ needs and level of understanding rather than on the clinician’s discomfort with their requests.

Art For Hope

By William Stoehr – Artist – Boulder, Colorado My art focuses on eliminating the stigma of substance use disorder and its related mental health issues. My sister died of an opioid overdose. She might still be alive if it were not for prescription opioids and the stigma which suffocates discussion, blocks action and causes pain. The first…

"Our medical training leaves us ill-equipped to manage feelings associated with this uncertainty, especially the shame that often accompanies a medical error."

April 15, 2021 | 3 min read

To Err is Human

By Linda Lee, MD, Johns Hopkins Medicine

Being honest with patients about errors can help ease their pain and preserve the patient-clinician relationship.

February 10, 2022 | 1 min read

How to Express Empathy With Humility

By Rebekah Fenton, MD, Northwestern University

To show we care, we can simply say something like, “I can’t imagine how hard this must be.”

February 13, 2019 | 2 min read

Disparities in New Treatments

By Utibe Essien, MD, MPH, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine

When beginning new treatments, it's important to ask patients what they understand about the medication, what their expectations are, what barriers might exist to remaining on this agent, and what they value most out of their treatment plan.

January 4, 2024 | 1 min read

Searching for the solution

By Scott Wright, MD, Johns Hopkins Medicine

Improving clinical reasoning skills is a career-long journey where we feel like an expert one day and a novice the next. Commitment to growth and learning from mistakes are absolutely required.

August 29, 2024 | 1 min read

Where do you live?

Clinicians must go beyond medical diagnoses and address social determinants of health, such as housing instability. Finding the best hospital discharge solution may require creativity and team collaboration.

March 11, 2021 | 1 min read

How to Create Sanctuaries for Patients

By Michelle Ogunwole, MD, Johns Hopkins Medicine

To create safe spaces for historically marginalized patients, slow down and gather more information when conflicts arise. Be aware of your biases and give patients the benefit of the doubt.

April 6, 2021 | 2 min read

How to Respond to Unexpected Things Your Patient Tells You

By Shireen Heidari, MD, Stanford University

When a patient shares something that really catches you by surprise, listen closely and ask open-ended questions to fully understand their perspectives.

March 31, 2022 | 2 min read

A Lesson in Cultural Humility

By Mengyi "Zed" Zha, MD, Othello, Washington

Working at a community health clinic serving migrant workers from Mexico, I was confronted with a pervasive stereotype that the female patients were “dramatic.” I learned how important it was for patients’ concerns to be taken seriously.

"Planting The Seed of The Heart," by David Kopacz.

September 21, 2021 | 7 min read

How are you . . . really?

By David Kopacz, MD, University of Washington

A helpful practice to connect and understand your patient is to ask, "How are you doing . . . really?” If they’re hesitant to respond, consider sharing something you’ve found stressful lately to open the conversation.

"Odysseus in front of Scylla and Charybdis." Henry Fuseli. 1794-1796. Public domain.

November 7, 2019 | 4 min read

Responsible Opioid Prescribing

By Travis Rieder, PhD, Johns Hopkins Berman Institute of Bioethics

Responsible opioid prescribing requires navigating between the Scylla of over-prescribing and the Charybdis of under-prescribing. Clinicians can work toward this goal by initiating prescriptions when (and only when) appropriate, managing them over the long-term, and knowing how to compassionately deprescribe when the time comes.

May 31, 2018 | 6 min read

Tips for Taking Care of Patients, From a Physician Who’s Been One

By Scott Vasher, MD, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine

The lessons I learned from being hospitalized have stuck with me and guided me in all of my practice.

July 16, 2019 | 3 min read

3 Lessons in Hospitality From my Patient

By Loveleena Virk, MD, Kaiser Permanente, Oakland Medical Center, California.

Hospitality is a human connection through the gift of attention and care. When hospitality becomes our modus operandi, care is transformed from transactional to sacred.

February 22, 2018 | 3 min read

Family History and Addiction Risk

By Margaret Chisolm, MD, Johns Hopkins Medicine

For some patients the risk of becoming addicted to prescription opioids is extraordinarily high and may outweigh any pain control benefit.

“We often jump to reassure, fix, and plan. If we can be still for a moment, we can remain present and let compassion guide our actions.”

December 8, 2020 | 3 min read

The Messy

By Cassie Ferguson, MD, Medical College of Wisconsin

Caring for children in the pediatric ED is both rewarding and exhausting. Cultivating compassion for patients and ourselves can help to sustain our practice and our well-being.

February 28, 2018 | 4 min read

Asking Patients About Adverse Childhood Experiences

By Brent Beasley, MD, University of Oklahoma

Ask. It's scary. But ask anyway.

October 13, 2020 | 3 min read

Attending to the Story

By Mollie Marr (she/her), MD/PhD student, Oregon Health & Science University

It’s important to approach each patient with a fresh perspective. While prior diagnoses should be considered, anchoring to them introduces bias that may cloud your vision.

April 20, 2021 | 3 min read

Listening to Every Patient

By Pringl Miller, MD, San Francisco, California

To give clinically excellent care to the patient in front of you, ask yourself: “Am I carefully listening to what the patient is telling me? Am I incorporating what I’ve heard into the care plan?”

October 10, 2019 | 2 min read

Our Greatest Teachers

By Vivek Murthy, MD, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine

To find meaning in your clinical work, search for the words and moments that affirm your shared humanity with patients.

September 6, 2023 | 3 min read

Getting Older in Medicine

By Joanne Shay, MD, Johns Hopkins Medicine

Both of my knees need to be replaced—I already can’t wait to get back to playing pickleball. I now have renewed empathy in the OR and remind patients: “Recovery will take time. Try to be patient.”

February 13, 2024 | 3 min read

Unsent letters from a palliative care doctor to a patient and her dog

By Lingsheng Li, MD, MHS, University of California, San Franscisco

Sometimes we never get the chance to tell a patient what we admire about them. After my patient died, I realized I’d been inspired by the inner strength she showed by caring for her dog despite health and life challenges.

February 23, 2023 | 3 min read

Embracing Care Partners

By Ariel Green, MD, PhD, MPH, Johns Hopkins Medicine

When caring for older adults, collaborate with and support their care partners – their loved ones. Their vital roles are often overlooked.

November 29, 2021 | 3 min read

Being Your Patient’s Advocate

By Sabrina Chen, medical student, New York University

Some supervising physicians may occasionally seem annoyed by medical students’ questions. As a trainee, I’ve learned to speak up anyways, as my question can make the difference between life and death.

July 2, 2024 | 4 min read

Seeing

By Kamna Balhara, MD, Johns Hopkins Medicine

When patients present frequently to the ED, clinicians must make an effort to validate them as individuals. It's also important to be aware of and work to change the underlying social determinants that may drive their visits.

April 11, 2018 | 3 min read

Five Tips to Support Your Grieving Patient

By Jane Schindler, LCSW-C ACHP-SW, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine

A licensed clinical social worker offers her top tips for supporting grieving patients.

Clinician self-disclosure must be done thoughtfully if it is to strengthen the root of the patient-doctor relationship.

January 18, 2021 | 5 min read

The Pros and Cons of Clinician Self-disclosure

By Howard Chang, Medical Student, Johns Hopkins Medicine

Clinician self-disclosure, if done thoughtfully, may help some patients feel better understood and strengthen the patient-doctor relationship.

September 30, 2021 | 1 min read

The Cancer is Back

By Anonymous Physician, Johns Hopkins Medicine

I recently lost a young patient to cancer. I was reminded that even when we cannot cure our patient’s illness, we can always show empathy and compassion.

January 5, 2021 | 5 min read

Seeing and Healing Social Isolation

By Katherine Otto Chebly, MD, New York University

Social isolation and loneliness are established risk factors for disease and early death. Routinely asking about patients about their social support system (or lack thereof) allows us to give more effective care.

April 1, 2024 | 7 min read

Osler’s visit

By Jeffrey Millstein, MD, Penn Medicine

“Every patient you see is a lesson in much more than the malady from which he suffers.”—Dr. William Osler

December 1, 2020 | 4 min read

When Patients Trust Only You

By Howard Chang, Medical Student, Johns Hopkins Medicine

Through empathic listening, all members of the healthcare team can build rapport with patients in their most vulnerable moments.

"The Starry Night," Vincent Van Gogh, 1889, Museum of Modern Art.

May 16, 2019 | 5 min read

Starry, Starry Night

By Juliette Perzhinsky, MD, MSc, Central Michigan University

There are times that as clinicians we become patients ourselves, needing compassionate care for injuries entirely unrelated to our chief complaint.

March 3, 2025 | 2 min read

The power of small gestures

Actions speak louder than words. Small gestures like listening closely to patients, getting tissues, adjusting the lights, and helping them get comfortable in bed is part of giving holistic care.

"I close my ears and journey to the moon . . ."

February 20, 2024 | 1 min read

Sickle cell does not have me

By Lily Kwak, medical student, Johns Hopkins Medicine

Creating art, like poetry, may help clinicians to process the complex emotions that can arise while caring for patients.

September 16, 2024 | 3 min read

What healthcare professionals can learn from Clover, the death doula

By Scott Wright, MD, Johns Hopkins Medicine

A novel reminded me about best practices in caring for the dying. “The Collected Regrets of Clover” repeatedly stressed to acknowledge the emotional complexities surrounding death and to never look away from someone’s pain.

September 12, 2024 | 2 min read

Validating feelings

I cared for a patient who had been rejected from a rehab facility because of her weight. I was reminded of the importance of acknowledging the patient’s emotions as part of the care plan.

"I’ve relived that moment many times in my head. I wonder what I would have done differently today."

February 1, 2022 | 2 min read

Finding my Voice

By Jennifer Eitingon, MD, Johns Hopkins Medicine

As a trainee, a distressing clinical experience taught me that I must always be the patient’s advocate. Now as a teacher, I help my learners to feel confident speaking up for what they know is right.

October 23, 2019 | 4 min read

A Tale of Two Stents

By Frank Cacace, MD, North Shore University Hospital

We are all vulnerable to cognitive biases. The clinically excellent clinician takes time to slow down and steps back when working toward the definitive diagnosis.

August 1, 2024 | 3 min read

Prescribing art

By Anna Krotinger, MBE, medical student, Harvard Medical School

I’ve taught dance to patients with Parkinson’s and have seen great impact. By integrating the arts into clinical care, healthcare professionals can better support patients navigating their journey.

February 24, 2021 | 2 min read

“Make you feel my love” (archives 2021)

By Amy Vinson, MD, Boston Childrens Hospital

Seeing the love in a patient’s life can be moving. It can also remind us just how important close relationships are in life.