CME | Focusing on the “Care” in Patient Care: Understanding the Neuroscience of Compassion

The CME on the Go series of the Inside Family Medicine podcast lets you earn up to 0.5 CME credits per episode — join the hosts as they dive into Explore the transformative power of compassion in healthcare with Dr. Jason Marker and guest Dr. Kate Callaghan. Learn how understanding the neuroscience of compassion can enhance patient outcomes, promote physician well-being, and build resilience in medical practice.   

In this episode of CME On the Go, Dr. Jason Marker sits down with Dr. Kate Callaghan to discuss the critical role of compassion in medicine. Drawing from personal stories, scientific research, and practical applications, they explore how compassion impacts patient care, mitigates physician burnout, and fosters a sense of connection in medical teams. Dr. Callaghan shares insights from her work in Street Medicine and at Notre Dame’s Hillebrand Center for Compassionate Care in Medicine, emphasizing the neurological benefits of compassion for both patients and physicians. With actionable strategies for integrating compassion into daily practice, this episode equips family physicians with tools to enrich their professional and personal lives. 

Your host for this episode is Jason Marker, MD, MPA, FAAFP, associate director of the Memorial Hospital Family Medicine Residency Program in South Bend, Indiana. Joining him is Katharine Callaghan, MD, also an associate director of the Memorial Hospital Family Medicine Residency Program, lead faculty for the Street Medicine program, and an adjunct professor at the University of Notre Dame’s Hillebrand Center for Compassionate Care in Medicine. 

Whether you're navigating patient queries or seeking to enhance your clinical knowledge, this episode offers valuable insights and practical advice for family physicians. Tune in now and earn CME credit!

 

Credit Claiming:

After listening to the podcast episode, claim 0.5 AAFP credit by following the provided link 

https://www.aafp.org/assessment/take/17826/e

 

 

Learning Objectives:   

1. Define compassion from a neuroscientific perspective and its impact on patient care. 

2. Explore strategies to enhance compassion and empathy and examine their effects on physician well-being. 

3. Learn effective methods for promoting compassionate care within medical teams to encourage growth and development. 

 

References 

Fredrickson, B. L. (2001). The role of positive emotions in positive psychology: The broaden-and-build theory of positive emotions. The American Psychologist, 56(3), 218–226. https://doi.org/10.1037//0003-066x.56.3.218 

Esch, T., & Stefano, G. B. (2011). The neurobiological link between compassion and love. Medical Science Monitor, 17(3), RA65–RA75. https://doi.org/10.12659/MSM.881441 

Frankl, V. E. (2006). Man's search for meaning. Beacon Press. (Original work published 1946) 

Jazaieri, H., Jinpa, G. T., McGonigal, K., Rosenberg, E. L., Finkelstein, J., Simon-Thomas, E., Cullen, M., Doty, J. R., Gross, J. J., & Goldin, P. R. (2012). Enhancing compassion: A randomized controlled trial of a compassion cultivation training program. Journal of Happiness Studies. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10902-012-9373-z 

Jinpa, T. (2012, July). Nature, origins and developments of compassion: Perspectives from a Buddhist understanding. Presentation at the Science of Compassion: Origins, Measures, and Interventions Conference, Telluride, CO. 

Klimecki, O., & Singer, T. (2011). Empathic distress fatigue rather than compassion fatigue? Integrating findings from empathy research in psychology and social neuroscience. In B. Oakley, A. Knafo, G. Madhavan, & D. S. Wilson (Eds.), Pathological altruism (pp. 368–383). Oxford University Press. 

Moss, J., Roberts, M. B., Shea, L., Jones, C. W., Kilgannon, H., Edmondson, D. E., Trzeciak, S., & Roberts, B. W. (2019). Healthcare provider compassion is associated with lower PTSD symptoms among patients with life-threatening medical emergencies: A prospective cohort study. Intensive Care Medicine, 45(6), 815–822. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00134-019-05601-5 

Trzeciak, S., & Mazzarelli, A. (2019). Compassionomics: The revolutionary scientific evidence that caring makes a difference. Studer Group. 

Uygur, J., Brown, J. B., & Herbert, C. (2019). Understanding compassion in family medicine: A qualitative study. The British Journal of General Practice: The Journal of the Royal College of General Practitioners, 69(680), e208–e216. https://doi.org/10.3399/bjgp19X701285 

Vachon, D. (2020). How doctors care. Cognella.

 

Disclosure: It is the policy of the AAFP that all individuals in a position to control content disclose any relationships with commercial interests upon nomination/invitation of participation. Disclosure documents are reviewed for potential conflicts of interest and, if identified, conflicts are resolved prior to confirmation of participation. Only those participants who had no conflict of interest or who agreed to an identified resolution process prior to their participation were involved in this CME activity.

All individuals in a position to control content for this session have indicated they have no relevant financial relationships to disclose.

 

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