Emotional Intelligence (EI or EQ) is the ability of an individual to identify, control and manage emotions of oneself and others in order to maintain healthy relationships. Emotional intelligence in healthcare professionals helps in enhancing patient satisfaction and clinical outcomes

1. Special Feature
Health Biz India June 201450
By: K Shamshuddin
E
motional Intelligence
(EI or EQ) is the ability
of an individual to
identify, control and manage
emotions of oneself and others
in order to maintain healthy
relationships. Emotional
intelligence in healthcare
professionals helps in
enhancing patient satisfaction
and clinical outcomes. In
patients, emotional intelligence
provides psychological support
which helps in managing their
ailments. Patients expect their
treatment to be empathetic and
personalised and integrating
emotional intelligence in
medical practice is the ideal
way to provide empathetic and
personalised care.
The concept of emotional
intelligence was popularised by
the publication of psychologist
and New York Times science
writer Daniel Goleman’s book,
‘Emotional Intelligence: Why
It Can Matter More Than IQ’.
Self-awareness, self-regulation,
motivation, empathy and social
skills are the five elements of
emotional intelligence – says
Daniel Goleman.
In fact, the significance of
emotional intelligence is well
recognised in business and
management; but not as much
in healthcare.
Self-awareness
Self-awareness is the ability
to know one’s emotions,
strengths, weaknesses, drives,
values and goals and recognise
their impact on others while
using gut feelings to guide
decisions. People with high
emotional intelligence have
self-awareness. Self-awareness
is the essential building block
for emotional intelligence.
In healthcare, identifying
emotions of oneself plays a
crucial role in maintaining
therapeutic relationship
with patients and team or
with colleagues. Hospital
environment is laden with
negative emotions like anger,
grief, sorrow, frustration
and fear. For instance, if a
patient is angry it is important
for healthcare professionals
(physicians, nurses and others)
to identify the reasons for the
anger and to know whether
the patient is showing other
negative emotions, fear or
frustration. Here, a patient
can be angry due to loneliness,
finance, or environment.
Identification of the correct
emotion and reasons causing
it helps in prescribing a care
plan.
Self-regulation
Self-regulation is another
important aspect of emotional
intelligence and it is the
second element of emotional
intelligence proposed by Daniel
Goleman. Self-regulation is
the ability to control ones
emotions and responses to
situations and other people. It
is also about feeling positive
emotions and expressing
positive emotions to others.
Individuals who are self-
regulated typically do not
allow themselves to become
too angry or jealous, and
they do not make impulsive
Emotional Intelligence in
HealthcareIntegrating emotional intelligence in medical practice is the
ideal way to provide empathetic and personalised care
The significance
of emotional
intelligence is
well recognised
in business and
management; but
not as much in
healthcare

2. Special Feature
www.healthbizindia.in
Health Biz India June 2014 51
and careless decisions.
They think before they act.
Features of self-regulation
are thoughtfulness, comfort
with change, integrity,
and the ability to say No.
Competencies that are required
for self-regulation are self-
control, trustworthiness
conscientiousness, adaptability
and innovation.
Motivation
Motivation is a psychological
feature that encourages an
individual to act towards a
desired or agreed goal and
elicit control, and sustain
certain goal-directed behaviors.
People with a high degree
of emotional intelligence
are motivated. Motivated
people are highly productive,
take on challenges, and are
very effective in their day
to day work. Activation,
persistence, and intensity are
the three major components to
motivation.
There are two types of
motivation - extrinsic and
intrinsic. Extrinsic motivation
arises from outside of the
individual. Intrinsic motivation
arises from within. Healthcare
professionals should play a
vital role in motivating their
patients. Counselling or
effective communication are
ways to motivate. Extrinsic
motivation is essential for
patients to achieve health
related goals. This kind of
motivation in turn leads to
intrinsic motivation.
Healthcare professionals
play an important role in
motivating their patients to
follow a healthy lifestyle.
Counselling and disease
education are the tools used
in motivating and bringing
awareness in patients. Internal
motivation in patients can
lead to a persistent change
in their behaviour. Patient-
centered practices specifically
motivational interviewing
and collaborative goal setting,
aim to encourage internal
motivation and have been
associated with better health
outcomes.
Empathy
Empathy is the ability of an
individual to experience the
emotions of others. Daniel
Goleman defined empathy as
the ability to read other people.
Empathy encompasses care,
desire to help, understanding,
service orientation and
discriminating what others
are thinking. Listening,
understanding verbal and non-
verbal communications are
central to empathy. Empathic
listening (active listening or
reflective listening) is a manner
of listening which includes
understanding the content
of a message as well as the
intent of the sender and the
circumstances under which
the message is given. It allows
the listener to see the world
as others see it, leading to a
higher level of understanding
of how others feel. It helps
us to know what others are
feeling.
Understanding patients,
their desires, their emotions
and their circumstances
is central to an effective
therapeutic relationship and
empathy (clinical empathy)
plays a significant role in
this understanding. Clinical
empathy is the process through
which a physician or other
healthcare professionals uses
the mechanism of empathy,
to provide better care and
understand their patients. In
Empathy helps
physicians and
other healthcare
professionals in
understanding their
patient’s emotions,
intentions and
behaviour
Failure to
understand
emotional cues of
patients may lead
to repeated visits
to hospitals or
extension of patient
discharge

3. Special Feature
Health Biz India June 201452
clinical practice, empathy helps
physicians and other healthcare
professionals in understanding
their patient’s emotions,
intentions and behaviour. This
understanding builds mutual
trust, which is required for
better clinical outcomes and
patient satisfaction. Currently,
patients and their attenders
expect compassion, admiration
and dignity in care.
Physicians or other
healthcare professionals should
not lose their position while
being empathetic and it is
important for them to regulate
empathy.
“A health care professional
cannot appear too impersonal
as it could make the patient
uncomfortable. It is also not
advisable for the healthcare
professional to get involved in
a very personal or emotional
manner with their patients
so as to lose objectivity
thus compromising on
professionalism. Thus, it is
important for physicians
to balance while managing
emotions (Iosifidis P, (Iosifidis
I 2002).
Clinical empathy can be
enhanced by acknowledging
the patient, active listening,
accepting and validating and
showing affection. Medical
institutes and healthcare
providers (hospitals) should
equip medical students or
professionals with skills of
empathy as part of their
training or through continuing
medical education (CME)
programs.
Social skills
A social skill (people skills) is
the fifth element of emotional
intelligence that helps in
building relationships.
Building relationships plays
an imperative role in any
profession. In healthcare,
building relationships
helps in achieving patient
satisfaction, clinical outcomes
and patient centered care.
Social skills encompass several
competencies. These include:
influence, communication,
conflict management,
leadership and change
catalyst. People who have this
competency are team players,
good at resolving conflicts,
good communicators, helps
others and good at building
relationships.
Influence
Influence is the ability to
positively impact others
and their decision making.
Empathy plays a significant
role in influencing others.
It is difficult to influence
without understanding
the emotions of others. In
healthcare, physicians or other
healthcare professionals should
understand the emotional cues
of patients and their attenders
for better clinical outcomes.
Failure to understand, may
lead to repeated visits to
hospitals or extension of
patient discharge.
Healthcare professionals
who have influencing skills are
able to:
1. Build rapport or trust with
patients
2. Help patients in achieving
health-related goals
3. Anticipate what is required
for their patients
Conflict management
Conflict is actual or perceived
opposition of needs, values and
interests. Conflict management
involves using several methods
or approaches for conflict
resolution.
The complex
structure of a
healthcare set-up is
prone to changes;
thereby change
management a
key concern in
healthcare
A hospital should
have a conflict
management
process to ensure
that conflict does
not hinder clinical
outcome or quality
of care

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Health Biz India June 2014 53
Medical practice is a
profession is based on
collaborative relationships
with patients and colleagues.
An average day for healthcare
professional involves
coordination with team
members, examining patients,
prescribing medications,
follow-up, round to wards,
surgeries, solving problems
and others. Medical practice
functions in coordination
with different individuals and
departments; and deals with
emotionally distraught people.
As a result conflicts are more
common here than any other
profession. A hospital should
have a conflict management
process to ensure that conflict
does not hinder clinical
outcome or quality of care.
Empathetic listening, honesty,
reflection are the skills required
to manage conflicts in clinical
settings. Conflict management
skills allow healthcare
professionals to deal with
difficult patients.
Leadership
Leadership is the ability to
inspire and manage individuals
and groups. Healthcare
organisations consist of various
professionals, departments,
specialties and sub-cultures.
This complex structure of a
healthcare organisation leads
to conflict situations due to
gaps in communication. The
primary role of healthcare
leaders includes managing and
encouraging staff to achieve
common goals. A great leader
has high emotional intelligence
and this skill helps in knowing
or managing emotions of self,
others and thereby managing
the performance of both
oneself and others.
Change catalyst
Change catalyst is also known
as change management.
Change management is an
organised approach to deal
with change, both from
the view of an organisation
as well as at an individual
level. Positive adaptation to
change is crucial within an
organisation. The complex
structure of a healthcare
set-up is prone to changes;
thereby change management
a key concern in healthcare.
Interpersonal skills, managing
emotions, emotional
maturity, dealing with stress
and handling relationships
are crucial skills in change
management. The five elements
of emotional intelligence
discussed above help in
achieving these skills thereby
responding to people and
changing circumstances.
Conclusion
This article highlights the
significance of emotional
intelligence in healthcare.
Emotional intelligence is
becoming need of the hour
in any profession. Patients
expect their treatment to be
empathetic and personalised.
This can be achieved by
applying concepts of emotional
intelligence in medical practice.
Healthcare professionals
with emotional intelligence
will:
• Create the environment of
home care for patients
• Infer and understand how
patients feel, discover their
motives and concerns, and
demonstrate empathy in their
care
• Understand patient’s
emotions and know
perceptions to manage
patient situations towards the
goal of effective patient care
Currently, hospitals are
looking to include training
on emotional intelligence
for all their staff. Healthcare
professionals do not have
enough training on emotional
intelligence during their
medical education. This
lacunae can be filled by
hospitals and colleges through
professional development
programs; continuing medical
education (CME) or by
including in the curriculum
respectively.
About the author
K Shamshuddin is a
proven professional
with over 10 years of
experience in training
and development
with educational
organisations in India.
He is currently the
Assistant Manager-
Product at Manipal
Global Education
Services Pvt. Ltd. He
has designed and
developed more than
100 training programs
for the healthcare
industry. In his current
role, he is in-charge of
managing the entire
life cycle of healthcare
programs from
concept to delivery in
different entities under
the Manipal Global
Education group since
2008.