This Article  • References  • Full text PDF  • Send to a friend  • Save in My Folder  • Save to citation manager  • Permissions  Citing Articles  • Citation map  • Citing articles on HighWire  • Citing articles on Web of Science (41)  • Contact me when this article is cited  Related Content  • Similar articles in JAMA  Social Bookmarking   What's this?

William M. Zinn, MD, MPH

JAMA. 1988;259(22):3296-3298.

Abstract
The medical encounter, like all human interaction, is unavoidably emotion laden. Rather than viewing them as something to be overcome, the emotional responses of the physician can be analyzed for information about the patient or about the physician. The emotional states of patients arouse complementary reactions in the clinician that are diagnostic clues to important clinical syndromes such as depression or character disorders. Conversely, the physician can have idiosyncratic responses to patients that can lead to inappropriate diagnostic and therapeutic choices or to avoidance of particular problems or patients. Self-awareness is the key to utilizing these reactions to improve the patient-physician relationship.

(JAMA 1988;259:3296-3298)

Author Affiliations
From the Department of Medicine, The Cambridge Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Cambridge, Mass.

Footnotes
Reprint requests to Department of Medicine, The Cambridge Hospital, 1493 Cambridge St, Cambridge, MA 02139 (Dr Zinn).

CiteULike    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    Twitter     What's this?

THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN CITED BY OTHER ARTICLES

Service providers' reflections on the affective domain and its influence on decision-making about treatments for chronic pain
Brown
Chronic Illness 2005;1:217-229.
ABSTRACT  

The Doctor Who Cried: A Qualitative Study About the Doctor's Vulnerability
Malterud and Hollnagel
Ann Fam Med 2005;3:348-352.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Care of the Dying Doctor: On the Other End of the Stethoscope
Fromme and Billings
JAMA 2003;290:2048-2055.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

The Inner Life of Physicians and Care of the Seriously Ill
Meier et al.
JAMA 2001;286:3007-3014.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

The Physician-Patient Relationship: Three Psychodynamic Concepts That Can Be Applied to Primary Care
Goldberg
Arch Fam Med 2000;9:1164-1168.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Love, Boundaries, and the Patient-Physician Relationship
Farber et al.
Arch Intern Med 1997;157:2291-2294.
ABSTRACT  

Calibrating the Physician: Personal Awareness and Effective Patient Care
Novack et al.
JAMA 1997;278:502-509.
ABSTRACT  

The Empathic Physician
Zinn
Arch Intern Med 1993;153:306-312.
ABSTRACT  

Sexual Misconduct in the Practice of Medicine
Council on Ethical and Judicial Affairs, American et al.
JAMA 1991;266:2741-2745.
ABSTRACT  

Bad News: Delivery, Dialogue, and Dilemmas
Quill and Townsend
Arch Intern Med 1991;151:463-468.
ABSTRACT  

Transference
Freedman et al.
ANN INTERN MED 1991;114:169-169.
ABSTRACT  

Transference Phenomena in Medical Practice: Being Whom the Patient Needs
Zinn
ANN INTERN MED 1990;113:293-298.
ABSTRACT  

Doctors Have Feelings Too
Gorton
JAMA 1989;261:380-380.
ABSTRACT