08 January 2025
Bilbao Campus
On December 10, the Pedro Fabro Association of Retired Persons of the University of Deusto held the third talk in its series of conferences on integral health entitled 'The humanization of medicine', given by Professor Gaizka Camarón. The speaker, a lecturer in the degree of Medicine, began his talk by talking about the importance of being a doctor, which he considers to be a way of life.
Although it is true, as he pointed out, that the doctor needs adequate technical knowledge, as well as certain competencies and skills, such as, for example, a thirst for knowledge or the ability to adapt, as well as developing the skills of critical thinking, teamwork and handling uncertainty. However, he believes that “humanistic competencies, such as knowing how to be and being, are also of vital importance”.
Because he believes that when it is not possible to cure “it is always possible to take care and this is always possible”. In this sense, the physician needs to feel compassion, which does not mean pity, but “the ability to approach the suffering person with wisdom”. To these qualities he adds the need for sympathy which “is to feel for someone”, empathy which “is to feel with someone” and compassion which is a step further as “feeling with someone” and requires effort and commitment. In his opinion, it is “the pillar of humanizing medicine”.
Within the doctor-patient relationship, Professor Camarón pointed out that there are different models: the paternalistic -the initial and paternalistic- in which the doctor decided for the patient; the interpretative-informative in which the patient is offered all the information and decides; and the deliberative, which is more of a moral symmetry and involves a dialogue of values and emotions between doctor and patient.
The lecturer assures that today there is a perceived dehumanization of medicine, which occurs when the physician sees the patient without any emotion. Therefore, today more than ever, it is important to talk about the humanization of medicine. To humanize is to personalize care, remembering that behind every disease there is a person living an experience.
In this way of practicing medicine, the relationship with the other is key “we must share with kindness and empathy” and it is an encounter between people, respecting the patient's personal history, their privacy, their decisions and their family environment in order to provide care in a dignified manner, with respect and empathy. “Or, in other words, to put oneself in the shoes of the other, to listen to the other, to take charge of the humanity of people. Gregorio Marañón used to say that there were no illnesses, only sick people,” the physician explains.
In this regard, Gaizka Camarón listed different humanizing tools:
- The word: the power of the word in healing can be the best medicine.
- Gestures: shaking hands, touching, calling by name, treating with respect.
- Art of caring - understanding: understanding the person, his or her illness and the patient.
For him, caring requires, first of all, understanding, because until you put yourself in the person's shoes, you cannot see the other person's perspective and there is a loss of identity. Thus, he believes that longitudinality in care is crucial: being able to keep the same family physician for many years, which has shown the following:
- A 30% decrease in emergency room attendance.
- 28% decrease in hospitalizations
- A 25% decrease in mortality
In the words of Jorge Front: “life cannot be extended, but it can always be extended”. Gaizka Camarón points out that the humanization of medicine is not a fad; it comes from the Hippocratic Oath, from Ancient Rome, from Asian medicine, etc. But in the 18th century, with scientific and technological advances in the field of medicine, the patient was no longer seen as an integral being and a human approach began to be lacking.
For all these reasons, the humanization of healthcare is a profound change in attitudes and processes. Patients feel fear of diagnosis, loneliness, coldness, pain, loss of privacy, difficulty in understanding instructions, uncertainty, etc. Health professionals also have difficulties, such as, for example, an increasing burden, great responsibility, little time with the patient, lack of social support, emotional cost, lack of self-fulfillment, etc.
In short, if you can cure a patient, you cure him, and if you cannot, you take care of him, you accompany him. The change obviously begins at the university. At the University of Deusto, for example, in the admission process, students are asked why they want to become doctors, not why. They are also taught that the gown is a symbol of service. The methodology used is “Problem Based Learning” (PBL) and the teachers are working professionals. They have internships since the first year of their careers, as well as clinical simulation. It is emphasized that work in the health area is a team and interdisciplinary work. They have direct contact with patients, competencies in care, international internships in order to be professionals for the world. The practice itinerary is to care beyond diagnosis
Institutions must communicate empathy, a culture of respect and compassion. Being a doctor,” concluded Gaizka Camarón, ”is a privilege that invites you from your vocation and commits you from your responsibility to care. Being a doctor does not make you a person, but being human makes you a better doctor”.
This year, the lecture series, organized by the Pedro Fabro Association, presents a comprehensive vision, bringing together different areas of knowledge to seek a shared, integrated and collective perspective of what we call health. The talks are organized on various dates between October and May, always at 11:30 am in the Garate Hall, given by professionals, researchers and expert voices from different disciplines from both the University of Deusto and other universities.
