Caring For The Whole Person With Physical Disabilities

In this five-minute video, Dr. Katie Stowers demonstrates the vital importance of seeing a person with disabilities as a person first and a diagnosis second. As she meets with her new patient, Ian (an actor who uses a wheelchair from a childhood spinal cord injury. He does NOT have cancer), to give him bad news about a test result, she skillfully explores who he is as a person. Building this trusting and caring relationship significantly enhances future conversations about prognosis and goals of care, and Ian feels respected as an empowered partner.