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