Empathy in Health Services and Pharmacy
Chapter from the book: Karaman, E. (ed.) 2023. International Research in Health Sciences-II.

Elif Ulutaş Deniz
Atatürk University
Tuğba Güven
Atatürk University

Synopsis

Rogers gave the accepted definition of empathy as follows: "It is the process by which an individual puts himself in the other person's place, correctly understands his feelings, thoughts, perceptions and emotions, and communicates this situation to him". Empathy plays a helpful role in relationships between individuals based on trust. The person who sees the other person empathising and trying to understand him or herself feels more comfortable and better. A person who is far from empathy is likely to have difficulties in understanding life and have problems in human relationships. It is known that because he cannot see life and events from the perspective of other people, he may get stuck in his own point of view and prevent him from being tolerant towards other individuals. The greater the tolerance in human relationships, the less the possibility of disagreement. Healthcare is a field based on empathy, effective communication, self-sacrifice, compassion and caring. Therefore, all healthcare professionals must act in accordance with these concepts. A healthcare worker who is fully committed to patients and the healthcare industry will also be more accepted by his or her colleagues. Today, as society becomes more educated, the increasing demand for quality healthcare services brings with it competition among healthcare professionals. Health problems, the worries of patients and their families can turn into anger when they take on a more serious dimension. Although empathy is one of the indispensable elements in the field of health, research shows that health workers cannot empathise enough and therefore cannot help patients sufficiently. Many health care clients say that in a conflict with a patient who shows a negative attitude, an evaluation should be made by looking at the event in a holistic way. If the patient responds positively to the assessment and reconciliation request, communication will be easier and the healthcare professional will be able to better understand and empathise with the patient. Pharmacists are people's closest health advisors and an indispensable part of the health sector. They are experts in the use of medicines in the treatment of patients, drug-drug interactions and drug-food interactions. It is emphasised that the pharmacist should put himself in the other person's shoes when transferring his knowledge to the patient and provide information, taking into account the level of education and culture.

How to cite this book

Ulutaş Deniz, E. & Güven, T. (2023). Empathy in Health Services and Pharmacy. In: Karaman, E. (ed.), International Research in Health Sciences-II. Özgür Publications. DOI: https://doi.org/10.58830/ozgur.pub74.c117

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Published

March 25, 2023

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