The compassion frame
Compassion offers no cognitive resources with which to make a decision; it is used to calm the anxiety which often increases as information is provided, and thus supports, or even re-establishes, interactions. Compassion supposes that distress is recognised. It may be used in conjunction with the medico-scientific expertise frame to demonstrate empathy and benevolence, or when the practitioner becomes aware of the anxiety that the information has caused. Resources are numerous and heterogeneous; therefore, the compassion frame can be easily intertwined with other frames. It can be confined to demonstrations of neutral concern, such as the use of softly spoken verbal phrases (“it’s alright my darling”, “don’t worry about it”), or to gentle and kind-hearted gestures, such as passing a box of tissues to a woman who is crying, placing a hand on her arm, or using humour. The practitioner might signal his/her availability by suggesting another appointment or a telephone call: “if you are still worried when you get home, give me a ring” (Midwife, France). In certain cases, practitioners may suggest postponing the decision to a later date or term. Finally, the compassion frame can also be used in conjunction with that of medical authority, when the practitioner engages his/her subjectivity in the assessment of a test result: “in your case the risk is very, very low”.