Restoring humanity in health care through the art of compassion: an issue for the teaching and research agenda in rural health care

Although there is limited evidence regarding the effects of compassionate care, it is thought that patients who are treated with understanding and compassion may recover faster and manage chronic disorders more effectively.

Abstract

Historically, the value compassion spans thousands of years, particularly in a religious context.Despite the historical usage and interpretations of the term 'compassion', there is still discussion on how to define it, particularly as it may encompass a number of values such as sympathy, empathy, and respect.Speaking at a recent event in the UK, Jocelyn Cornwell, Director of the Point of Care Programme at the Kings Fund 1 , suggested that compassion in its totality differs from other values in that it goes beyond simply 'feeling' something for another person, and implies some kind of action and effort as a result of the desire to 'do' something for another.Along similar lines, perhaps a most widely used definition of compassion is that it reflects 'a deep awareness of the suffering of another, coupled with the wish to relieve it' 2 .