"Empathy goes a long way in making the patient increase their adherence to our treatment options, our management plans."

Dr Marlene Dytoc joins Kirk to discuss her letters on why empathy is an important tool in dermatology practices. They appear in the Sept/Oct 2022 and Jan/Feb 2023 issues of the Journal of Cutaneous Medicine and Surgery. She and Kirk talk about why empathy helps improve patient outcomes, why it is compatible with efficiency, the many ways doctors can use empathy, including everything from helping patients prep ahead of time for visits, their check-in, wait time, dealing with staff and the appointment with the doctor. They also discuss the Eli-Lilly's LEAP Program (Learning Empathy and Efficiency in Practice). As Kirk points out, empathy is all about the words he says at the end of each episode: "Be good to each other."

For more information on Dr Dytoc's Empathy Kit, email [email protected]

Dr Marlene Dytoc is a Clinical Professor of Medicine at the University of Alberta. She is also director for U of A’s undergraduate medical education and medical director of specialty clinics for occupational and hand eczema, psychodermatology and vulvar dermatology.

For more great CDA podcasts, be sure to check out Dermalogues, our residents podcast, hosted by Dr Kerri Purdy. Available wherever you listen to podcasts.

For more on the work of the Canadian Dermatology Association, please visit our website at dermatology.ca  

JCMS Author Interviews is produced by the CDA and David McGuffin of Explore Podcast Productions in Ottawa.  

Our theme music was composed by Lee Rosevere.