(Howick + 2015)

Effects of changing practitioner empathy and patient expectations in healthcare consultations

Jeremy Howick+

6 November 2015

Definition

"Empathy has been conceptualised in diverse ways including as a behaviour, a personality trait, an affect and a cognition (Mercer 2002). In this review we will take a broader perspective that acknowledges clinical empathy as complex and multidimensional (Coulehan 2000; Decety 2014; Hojat 2009; Mercer 2002; Morse 1992; Neumann 2009). The broader definition of empathy is guided by Mercer 2002, and views empathy as an ability to

  • understand the patient’s situation, perspective and feelings (and their attached meanings);

  • communicate that understanding and check its accuracy; and

  • act on that understanding with the patient in a helpful (therapeutic) way."

Benefits

  • "For example, empathy and positive expectations are suspected to reduce anxiety and stress (Everly 2002) which in turn could reduce pain, depression, and various other conditions (Grossman 2004)."

    • - anxiety

    • - stress

    • - pain,

    • - depression,

  • Improving practitioner empathy and inducing positive patient expectations can also affect overall wellbeing (Thomas 1987).

    • + overall wellbeing

Interventions/Training

  • practitioner empathy

    • "More complex interventions involve more extensive training programs such as three 60 minute empathy and relational skills training sessions (Riess "2012),"

    • or a semi-structured interview with a patient designed to empathetically induce positive expectations (Vangronsveld 2012). "

    • "We have listed several examples of the types of interventions on which this review will focus in Table 1 and Table 2."

  • patient expectations