Key Takeaways

• Empathy, compassion and collaboration from medical providers is a crucial part of diabetes care.

• People who feel shame about having diabetes are less likely to make healthy lifestyle changes, while those who feel empowered are more likely to make these changes.

• It’s important for medical providers to consider all lab test results in the context of the whole person they belong to.

• People who feel more empathy and compassion from their providers are more likely to stay committed to their diabetes treatment plan.

• Research has shown that empathy and compassion influence people’s outcomes, and can even lower the risk of death for people with diabetes.

Why empathy and compassion are needed for optimal diabetes care

Here at NOVI, we’ve always believed that empathy and compassion are crucial aspects of caring for people with diabetes. There are a number of different reasons why experiencing compassion and empathy in their medical care can make a difference for people living with diabetes.

Shame vs. empowerment

Sadly, judgment is a very common experience for many people with diabetes. Some people have negative beliefs about those who have this condition, such as believing that they’re “lazy” and unable to care for themselves properly. Many people with diabetes feel that others blame them for having it, and may even believe that their condition is their own fault. 

Of course, this isn’t fair at all – people have different resources, knowledge, and social support, all of which can influence their ability to make healthy lifestyle choices. In addition, there’s a major genetic component to the risk of diabetes. Still, the belief that diabetes is a person’s own fault is sadly common, leaving many people with diabetes feeling blamed for their condition or even ashamed that they have it. 

Shame is generally not a good foundation for behavioral change. It’s true that people with diabetes can often make lifestyle changes that make a significant difference in their blood sugar control. However, making these changes is much more likely if a person feels empowered, and has positive social support to help them along their journey. The emotion of shame is not an empowering one, and it doesn’t tend to lead to lasting positive behavioral change.

Rather than empowering patients, the traditional medical model often simply involves the doctor telling the patient what to do. In many cases, the doctor never even asks any questions about why the patient isn’t taking that advice. They may completely fail to understand that person’s situation, which leaves them unable to help. 

For instance, maybe a person with diabetes is being told to take daily walks, but they aren’t doing so because they have arthritis. They might need treatment to help with their joint pain, so that they can get the recommended levels of exercise. Simply ordering them to get more physical activity won’t be very helpful. Talking to them about what they’re experiencing, and truly listening to the answers, will be much more effective. A doctor who compassionately asks questions and listens will be able to provide the best possible medical care.

Discover the NOVI method of healthcare: personalized, compassionate, holistic, and with ongoing digital support.

Centering technology vs. centering people

There’s also another factor that may influence how providers approach patients with diabetes. Advancements in medical technology have created a variety of different tests that we can use to assess a patient’s blood sugar control. We even have continuous glucose monitoring, which allows us to look at a patient’s blood sugar control minute-by-minute over a long period of time. 

All of this data is powerful, and it can help us to optimize the outcomes for people with diabetes. However, the downside is that it’s all too easy to focus on the data itself – rather than on the person it came from. Many providers are unfortunately tempted by this approach. They spend every appointment focusing on a patient’s numbers, rather than on the patient themselves. In some cases, the person with diabetes is basically ignored, while the lab test results get all the attention.

Of course, we don’t believe that we should ignore a person’s blood sugar numbers. This is very useful information, and can be used to help a person live a longer and higher-quality life.

However, we believe that it’s important to focus on the person first. We need to be asking, “What do these numbers mean for this person? What are they experiencing in their life right now? What support do they need to help them improve these numbers?” The numbers themselves are only important in the context of the person we’re trying to help.

Maintaining regular medical care over many years

Lastly, it’s important to remember that diabetes is a chronic condition. People usually have diabetes for many years, and they require regular medical visits across that entire span of time. When a person feels empathy from their physician, they’re much more likely to come for their medical visits as recommended.

Empathy, compassion and collaboration make a medical visit a positive experience, and people are much more likely to want to repeat that experience. By contrast, blame, shame, and judgment make a medical visit a negative experience, which a person will naturally want to avoid. 

It’s important that providers consider that no one is obligated to visit them. People may need medical help to achieve optimal health, but they ultimately must choose whether to go to a doctor or not. In general, no one is forcing them. Medical providers should keep in mind that each person in front of them is ultimately there by choice. It’s an honor for a doctor to be chosen to help a patient.

Empathy, compassion and collaboration have been shown in research to improve diabetes care

Despite all of these reasons why empathy and compassion matter, some people may still wonder whether it’s really that important that people with diabetes feel good when they’re at the doctor. Does it really matter as much as we believe that it does?

In fact, there’s research to show that empathy in diabetes care is important. One study showed that people stuck with their diabetes treatment at significantly higher rates when their physicians showed high levels of empathy. The physicians’ level of empathy was one of the strongest predictors of people sticking with their diabetes treatments as recommended. Another study found that increased levels of provider compassion increased patients’ coping abilities and motivation to stick with their diabetes treatment plan. 

Ultimately, people who are able to maintain their dedication to their diabetes treatment will have the best outcomes, in terms of quality of life, risk of major complications, and longevity. In fact, one long-term study showed that diabetes patients whose providers showed the highest levels of empathy had roughly half the risk of dying of cardiovascular disease over the next ten years as those whose providers didn’t show as much empathy. This demonstrates the power of compassion and empathy in diabetes care.

Are you looking for a diabetes care provider that you can work with collaboratively to help reach your health goals?

Here at NOVI, it’s always been important to us to connect on a human level with every person with diabetes who trusts us with their medical care. We see each one as a whole person, not just as a series of blood sugar numbers. We understand that lab testing and treatments are useful ways to help a person live a better life. The goal is not simply to achieve better numbers on a lab test, but to achieve a better quality of life and greater longevity for a person.

If you’ve been diagnosed with diabetes, or believe that you might have it, we invite you to look into our diabetes management program, NOVI Magnum. 

We’ve designed this program to include support from a number of different healthcare professionals, including physicians, dietitians, and health coaches. All of them will treat you with the utmost respect, and are there to help you achieve your health goals. Our clients actually enjoy their visits to our clinic, because they’re always treated with warmth and empathy while they’re here.

Every person, whether they have a chronic health condition or not, deserves to be treated with respect, empathy, and compassion at all times, including by their medical providers.