Doctors provide little in the way of empathy, even when their patients seem to ask for it, according to a study in the Sept. 22 Archives of Internal Medicine. Researchers looked at real doctor/patient encounters between 137 patients and their oncologists or thoracic surgeons from a Veterans Affairs hospital.

Doctors could respond to concrete concerns, such as that a patient was feeling physical pain, or was having trouble getting an appointment. But they largely ignored patients' emotional concerns -- even when that concern was an outcome of surgery, or how long they had left to live.

Here's a sample of an encounter reported in the study when the patient received the diagnosis:

"Patient: But this is kind of overwhelming, you know...I've had anxiety problems before. I go to the [mental health clinic]...

Doctor: Okay."

To read the full blog post go to:
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/booster_shots/2008/09/dont-look-to-a.html