Using Contemplative Medicine to Harness Compassion in the Palliative Care Setting: Lessons Learned

Background: Burnout is common among palliative care clinicians caring for patients with a serious illness. Contemplative medicine is an emerging approach that aims to utilize Buddhist concepts of mindfulness, insight, and compassion to address unspoken suffering in clinicians. Objectives: To introduce and share contemplative medicine practices with Hospice Palliative Medicine (HPM) fellows participating in two academic programs in New York. Methods: Pilot educational sessions in contemplative medicine were conducted following a Contemplative Medicine Fellowship’s relationship-centered and cohort-based curriculum. A short survey assessing HPM fellows’ attitudes toward core competencies in contemplative medicine was administered to seven HPM fellows. Results: Participants agreed that being present with those who are suffering are healing acts by themselves and that contemplative medicine can complement HPM fellows’ skillsets when providing care to patients with serious illnesses. Common themes like “being awake” and “low self-compassion” were discussed by participants during the sessions. Techniques like pausing and mindful breathing were found helpful to practice throughout a busy workday. Discussion: Incorporating contemplative medicine practices into an HPM fellowship may provide opportunities to (1) promote learner emotional development and (2) teach learners self-awareness of how difficult emotions can affect communication with patients.