Eye contact is one of the most basic mammalian traits that signals an interaction. Anybody who has a dog or cat at home sees on a daily basis how much animals value eye contact (and with dogs, it signals you’ve lost the battle!).

In the case of healthcare, during frequent emotional exchanges between two human beings, it naturally follows then that simple eye contact has to be at the core of the doctor-patient interaction.

I write and teach a lot about communication skills that physicians should foster. But sadly, eye contact is something that appears to be falling by the wayside these days — as it is in society in general.

Technology may be bringing immense benefits to mankind, but there are also drawbacks, and reduced eye contact with our fellow beings is one of them. Nevertheless, humans will always be humans, and crave one-on-one contact and attention.