Reframing the “heartsink” feeling can help doctors find a resolution

Do you recognise that heavy sensation of feeling weighed down when you can’t see the way forward in a consultation with a patient? If the situation happens repeatedly, the feeling can become anticipatory and associated with just thinking about the scenario.Described as “heartsink” by O’Dowd in 19881 after Ellis outlined it in 1986,2 this experience became widely known by the term “heartsink patient.” This phrase is a misnomer and has rightly had pushback. Labelling a patient with a negative term can be picked up by the patient and see doctor-patient interactions stall, leaving consultations stuck in an unhelpful loop. Furthermore, although the feeling may be associated with a particular patient presentation, the patient does not own it, their doctor does.3 It’s key for doctors to recognise their agency during these “heartsink” moments and that there are steps they can take to overcome the feeling.The heartsink feeling is important to tackle…
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