Patience with Patients: Reviving Bedside Manner

In Patience with Patients, Dr. Longobardi explores the power of empathy in healthcare, demonstrating that compassionate care, where patients are listened to, heard, and treated as people and not merely as numbers, will manifest the all-important healing powers of connection and so bring about sought-after positive outcomes. Medical care has changed from an era where doctors were healers, evolving into today’s high-paced, profit-driven healthcare, when a patient’s well-being is often overlooked because of corporatization, an increased physician workload, an over-reliance on new technology and AI, and the prioritization of financial metrics. Referencing compelling studies and accounts, Longobardi explains that when doctors and healthcare providers focus on compassionate care, adherence to treatment plans increases, bringing better patient outcomes. He emphasizes that physician self-care—recognizing stress, burnout, and work-life balance—is a necessary prerequisite for both improving patient care and reducing attrition among healthcare professionals. Longobardi makes the case that empathy training, starting in medical school and through continuing education, will build a much-needed appreciation for and use of compassionate care. Dispelling the myth of profit versus compassion, this evocative and inspiring appraisal of bedside manner demonstrates that reintegrating the human touch into modern medical practice will improve patient outcomes to the benefit of all involved in today’s healthcare.