Misdiagnosing a metaphor

For me, empathy plays a crucial role in such situations, in particular the cognitive dimension of empathy, as distinct from the affective and behavioural components. Drawing on cognitive empathy can be a powerful driver for medical and health professionals to question more thoughtfully and purposefully, to nurture a deep interest in human stories, and to try to understand why patients may say unexpected things. Or, as in my father’s case, when patients say things which might be assumed to have a specific clinical significance, when in fact such phrases reflect a deeper idiosyncratic or sociocultural meaning. I have learned that simple and frank responses such as ‘I’m not sure I understand what you mean’ or ‘Tell me why you say that?’ may be all it takes to draw out key information about the patient’s worldview, complemented and contextualised by the family’s perspectives on the matter.