Empirical research on empathy in medicine—A critical review

Pedersen, Reidar

doi:10.1016/j.pec.2009.06.012

Cited by 246 publications

(228 citation statements)

References 205 publications

(215 reference statements)

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“…10 Concern about a deficit of empathy in clinical practice is mirrored in medical undergraduate education, where there is conflicting evidence of a decline in empathy as students move through their training. [12][13][14][15] Is there a difference?…”

Section: Is There a Problem?mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…3,4 Research into compassion and its influences in medical is less developed than that into empathy providing a pragmatic reason for preferring empathy as the construct of choice. 13 A broad model of empathy with clear components encourages researchers and medical educators to study and teach the construct, whereas the vaguer notions of compassion are much more difficult to research or to teach. 16 …”

Section: The Differencesmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Empathy, sympathy and compassion in healthcare: Is there a problem? Is there a difference? Does it matter?

2016

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Section: Is There a Problem?mentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: The Differencesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Empathy, sympathy and compassion in healthcare: Is there a problem? Is there a difference? Does it matter?

2016

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“…15,26 Pain, and especially chronic pain, involves a significant burden on an individual level (e.g., relational problems and depressive symptoms 43 ) and societal level (e.g., healthcare costs 16 ). Even more, patients frequently report dissatisfaction with the provided care 41,53 and abundant research indicates that individuals with chronic pain might be prone to stigmatization by others. [17][18][19][20]30,32 Stigmatizing responses have been defined as 'devaluing and discrediting responses of observers towards individuals who possess a particular characteristic that deviates from societal norms' 14 .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Patients Are Socially Excluded When Their Pain Has No Medical Explanation

Ruddere

Bosmans

Crombez

et al. 2016

The Journal of Pain

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This study investigated whether observers socially exclude patients who experience pain that is not medically explained by means of an experimental design. Fifty-nine participants (individuals from the general population) viewed videos of 4 patients, each accompanied by a vignette describing the presence or absence of a medical explanation for their pain. Participants estimated patient's pain, and rated the sympathy felt for and the inclination to help the patient.In order to measure social exclusion, participants indicated their willingness to interact with the patients in several situations (Social Distance Scale). Furthermore, the participants were invited to select two of the four patients as confederates to play a game against another duo. When no medical explanation for the pain was provided, participants attributed less pain, reported feeling less sympathy and were less inclined to help the patients with daily activities. Of particular importance to this study, participants were less willing to interact with patients with medically unexplained pain and selected less often patients with 'medically unexplained' pain than patients with 'medically explained' pain as confederates in the social game. These results are indicative of social exclusion of patients with pain for which there is no clear medical explanation.Perspective: Observers socially exclude patients with pain for which there is no clear medical explanation. These findings have important clinical implications. In particular, social exclusion might have detrimental effects on both the mental and physical wellbeing of patients with pain.

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“…The answers to the questions are provided on a 7-point Likert scale, based on how strongly they either agree or disagree with the given statements (Hojat et al 2004(Hojat et al , p. 936, 2009(Hojat et al , p. 1183. 3 The JSPE is often criticized as discussing empathy too metaphorically as ''levels'' (Hooker 2015, p. 543), as well as for only really measuring the medical student's and/or professional's belief in the importance that empathy serves for medicine (Pedersen 2009). That is, they do not actually measure empathy itself but rather one's belief that empathy is either important or unimportant.…”

Section: A Problematic Lack Of Empathymentioning

confidence: 99%

Empathizing with patients: the role of interaction and narratives in providing better patient care

Hardy

2016

Med Health Care and Philos

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Recent studies have revealed a drop in the ability of physicians to empathize with their patients. It is argued that empathy training needs to be provided to both medical students and physicians in order to improve patient care. While it may be true that empathy would lead to better patient care, it is important that the right theory of empathy is being encouraged. This paper examines and critiques the prominent explanation of empathy being used in medicine. Focusing on the component of empathy that allows us to understand others, it is argued that this understanding is accomplished through a simulation. However, simulation theory is not the best explanation of empathy for medicine, since it involves a limited perspective in which to understand the patient. In response to the limitations and objections to simulation theory, interaction theory is presented as a promising alternative. This theory explains the physicians understanding of patients from diverse backgrounds as an ability to learn and apply narratives. By explaining how we understand others, without limiting our ability to understand various others, interaction theory is more likely than simulation theory to provide better patient care, and therefore is a better theory of empathy for the medical field.

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Empirical research on empathy in medicine—A critical review

Cited by 246 publications

References 205 publications

Empathy, sympathy and compassion in healthcare: Is there a problem? Is there a difference? Does it matter?

Empathy, sympathy and compassion in healthcare: Is there a problem? Is there a difference? Does it matter?

Patients Are Socially Excluded When Their Pain Has No Medical Explanation

Empathizing with patients: the role of interaction and narratives in providing better patient care

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