Dr. Cynthia Thomson: Why Is It Important for You to Empower Patients?
Why is it important to empower patients? Expert Dr. Cynthia Thomson from the University of Arizona discusses her approach to patient empowerment, how patient goals can vary, and her perspective on supporting patient lifestyle changes.
Related Resources:
![]() |
![]() Dr. Brad Kahl: Why Is It Important for You to Empower Patients? |
![]() Kimberly Smith: Why Is It Important for You to Empower Patients? |
Transcript:
Dr. Cynthia Thomson:
Cancer patients are amazing individuals. They really are committed to their health and well-being, and they’re also committed to the health and well-being of so many around them. So I empower patients by really helping them to think internally about what it is they want to accomplish in terms of lifestyle, what it is that really is important to them. Is it getting down on the floor and playing with their grandchild? Is it being able to have regular bowel movements every day? Is it to handle all these symptoms, maybe long-term fatigue or whatever, and really try to meet them where they are so that they really can achieve the goals that are important to them, not what’s important to me.
And I think that as I’ve worked with patients over decades, what I realize is that when you start where they are and support the patient along the way, they will make positive change. A lot of people will say, oh, no one will change their diet.
People aren’t ever going to eat healthy. Why do you worry about that? And I say, well you know, if that were the case, I think I would have quit doing this a long time ago. I would have realized that. But the opposite is true. People are looking for support, for information, for that opportunity to empower themselves to be healthier. They want to be healthier. It’s just that sometimes they need some help along the way to figure out what it is they need to achieve that goal.