title: [Empathic patient care--an endangered art of symptomatic therapy].
abstract: It is essential that empathic and tender care assumes top priority in any physician's work despite or because of hightech medicine. Provision of care is not taught sufficiently in medical school and is not adequately trained during postgraduate formation mostly due to administrative overload. In addition, financial incentives are poorly developped. However warm patient care adds important personal value to any patient contact for the physician and protects--in the right dose--efficiently against a burnout syndrome. Some practical hints help the practising to regain some of this professional quality despite a highly rationalized health care system.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Gurtner
mesh_terms: D002055:Burnout, Professional / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000523:psychology; D004645:Empathy; D006801:Humans; D010819:Physician's Role / Q000523:psychology; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D012803:Sick Role; D013557:Switzerland