5. How Should They Respond to the Suffering of Patients with Illnesses That They Themselves Have Not Experienced?

Abstract

　Physicians are expected to listen and respond to their suffering patients. But how should they respond to the suffering of patients with illnesses that they themselves have not experienced?　The scope of palliative care has expanded to emphasize the provision of palliative care to patients with "SERIOUS ILLNESS," regardless of whether or not they are cured. In addition to cancer, physicians have had to deal with the suffering of patients with heart failure, respiratory failure, cerebrovascular disease, etc., but their treating physicians are still clueless about how to face their suffering and how to respond to their suffering. Whole Person Care is a systematic educational program to enable people to face their suffering patients by helping them to adjust to their own condition. This paper provides an overview of "Responding to Patient Suffering".