The Value of Kindness

I'm not going to lie, the last few months haven't been easy, hence the radio silence. Is there light at the end of the tunnel, or is it the next train coming at you head on? I'm working with friends on a couple of endeavours, some of which may prove to be the end of the tunnel, some might just be a train.

I'm keeping up the Hospital volunteering, to which everyone I tell replies with, 'I bet you're brilliant at that Mark', or words to that effect. And they're right, I am. I leave everyone with a smile on their face, (although I admit, the free chocolate I'm now allowed to distribute may help) I'm sympathetic, humourous, empathetic and cheerful. Given my own cancer experience I can relate and understand the fears and hopes of the patients I meet. I listen when needed and talk when wanted. I am the embodiment of kindness to them and their consistent appreciation is as good for my mental health as much as I hope it's good for theirs. 


It does not pay though. And it is work; it’s emotionally draining and after two hours I find myself tired. For context the nursing staff work a 12 hour shift, through which they have to continually embody the values of the CUH Health Trust; “Safe. Excellent. Kind”. Which value do you think is the first to fray at the edges as budgets get tight and hours extend. I see the emotional benefit to the patients that kindness brings. A quick 10 minute conversation can brighten someone’s day and leave them smiling and chatting with other patients whereas previously there was silence and sadness.


With this in mind I’ve been thinking about kindness and the impact it has, and asking myself the following.


  • Can one be called kind if one is receiving a financial reward for it?

  • Does bespoke kindness have an impact on actual health outcomes? 

  • What commercial value does kindness have in and of itself?


And from these…


  • How does one go about calculating the value of kindness?


I’ve done a bit of online research on the topic but not found much to do with the impact on actual health outcomes. Most research seems to be centred around the effect it has on the mental health of the giver; improvements in self esteem, activity levels and general wellbeing. The conclusion here is that being kind is good for you, something I can attest to.


In terms of patient health outcomes, the best study I could find was conducted by a group of academics from USA and Australia and published in the Journal of Oncology Practice in 2017. The main aspect which comes across from the study is the improvement in patient trust that kindness from medical professionals engenders. Patient trust enables better diagnosis and thus better outcomes. I think of this as an indirect benefit that kindness is the catalyst for, trust being the outcome that kindness promotes. Can kindness actually help a patient directly though, beyond the mental and into the physical realm? Certainly it improves mental health in the patient, simply in terms of cheering them up. Research from Stanford University conducted in 2014, indicates that it can lead to “Faster healing of wounds, reduced pain, reduced anxiety, reduced blood pressure, shorter hospital stays, and even shorter duration”. Again though, this is linked to kindness in the application of treatment from the medical professionals themselves, kindness in the way that health care is delivered and doesn’t answer the question of whether there is value in the role of bespoke kindness giver? 


I’m going to think on this topic more. The British Medical Association already recognises the value of kindness in the application of healthcare, and advises the NHS accordingly.  The problem is as stated above, kindness is the first thing to fall by the wayside amidst cutbacks and time pressures. Can a business case be put forward for a “dedicated kindness professional”, beyond the volunteer? 


Citations.

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