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Do Doctors Grieve: Addressing Physician Grief and Cultivating Better Doctors

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Abstract

Physician grief over patient loss is ubiquitous and often leads to mental distraction and compromised treatment decisions. Through personal narrative and a literature review, it is not the grief itself which brews poor outcomes, but lack of discussion or addressing such grief. Open and direct discussion, therefore, seem the first steps to address physician grief and support healthier physicians.

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This research received no specific grant from any funding agency in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.

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Correspondence to Amira Athanasios.

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Athanasios, A. Do Doctors Grieve: Addressing Physician Grief and Cultivating Better Doctors. Pastoral Psychol 69, 83–85 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11089-020-00899-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11089-020-00899-1

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