“Drawing Toward Empathy—Physician Communication.”
May 2026
APA Pysch Net
Kristin Watkins, MBA, Research Services Pre-/Post-Award Professional in the University of Colorado Anschutz Department of Family Medicine, has published an art‑oriented feature titled “Drawing Toward Empathy—Physician Communication” in the journal, Families, Systems, & Health.
Inspired by Susan McDaniel, PhD’s, Levitt Lecture in April 2024, Kristin was deeply moved by the talk. Drawing on her own clinical experiences, she created the artwork as a way to express the importance of physician communication and patient understanding.
In August, Dr. McDaniel reached out to Kristin, encouraging her to publish the piece and mentoring her through the process of developing a narrative to accompany the artwork. Kristin explained that her work highlights the challenges patients often face in understanding clinical information and emphasizes the importance of continuing to ask questions until they feel comfortable.
“This art is how I feel when I don’t understand what I am hearing–especially when the words are scary. I hope it helps others know that they aren’t alone in hearing incomprehensible stuff and to keep asking questions until you understand.”
When asked why physician–patient communication is so important, Kristin noted that it is an experience nearly everyone encounters at some point.
“Physician communication is critical because we are all patients at one time or another. Even physicians may not fully understand the nuances in highly specialized situations. When we can walk in another’s shoes, empathy increases.”
Kristin pointed to the strong connection between the arts and empathic clinical care.
“Research shows that when physicians engage with the arts—as observers or as artists or performers—empathy increases. According to the National Institutes of Health, ‘empathy is a fundamental driver of high-quality clinical care, acting as a crucial component of clinical competence that directly correlates with better patient outcomes, increased satisfaction, and lower litigation rates. It bridges the gap between technical expertise and human connection, enhancing patient compliance and diagnostic accuracy, often acting as a key component of effective care.’ Ultimately, if we want to be successful in clinical care, we should consider the arts as a tool for cultivating empathy. I encourage everyone to explore art, music, theatre, dance, poetry, or prose as a way to connect with their own sense of empathy.”
Read more of Kristin’s publication in Families, Systems, and Health.