Dataset Information

Defining clinical empathy: a grounded theory approach from the perspective of healthcare workers and patients in a multicultural setting.

ABSTRACT:

Objective

To define clinical empathy from the perspective of healthcare workers and patients from a multicultural setting.

Design

Grounded theory approach using focus group discussions.

Setting

A health cluster in Singapore consisting of an acute hospital, a community hospital, ambulatory care teams, a medical school and a nursing school.

Participants

69 participants including doctors, nurses, medical students, nursing students, patients and allied health workers.

Main outcome measures

A robust definition of clinical empathy.

Results

The construct of clinical empathy is consistent across doctors, nurses, students, allied health and students. Medical empathy consists of an inner sense of empathy (imaginative, affective and cognitive), empathy behaviour (genuine concern and empathic communication) and a sense of connection (trust and rapport). This construct of clinical empathy is similar to definitions by neuroscientists but challenges a common definition of clinical empathy as a cognitive process with emotional detachment.

Conclusions

This paper has defined clinical empathy as 'a sense of connection between the healthcare worker and the patient as a result of perspective taking arising from imaginative, affective and cognitive processes, which are expressed through behaviours and good communication skills that convey genuine concern'. A clear and multidimensional definition of clinical empathy will improve future education and research efforts in the application and impact of clinical empathy.

SUBMITTER: Tan L

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8442049 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Publications

Defining clinical empathy: a grounded theory approach from the perspective of healthcare workers and patients in a multicultural setting.

Tan Laurence L Le Mai Khanh MK Yu Chou Chuen CC Liaw Sok Ying SY Tierney Tanya T Ho Yun Ying YY Lim Evelyn E Lim Daphne D Ng Reuben R Ngeow Colin C Low James J

BMJ open 20210914 9

<h4>Objective</h4>To define clinical empathy from the perspective of healthcare workers and patients from a multicultural setting.<h4>Design</h4>Grounded theory approach using focus group discussions.<h4>Setting</h4>A health cluster in Singapore consisting of an acute hospital, a community hospital, ambulatory care teams, a medical school and a nursing school.<h4>Participants</h4>69 participants including doctors, nurses, medical students, nursing students, patients and allied health workers.<h4 ...[more]

PMID: 34521657

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Project description:BackgroundPharmaceutical care has been implemented and regulated differently across Europe with no consensus among countries in relation with professional competencies and especially on nurse prescribing. Demophac Project funded by the European Commission aims to develop a Pan-European Pharmaceutical Care Model with collaboration of 14 partner teams across Europe including Spain where nurse prescribing is starting its implementation at regional level. The aim of the study was to increase understanding of the role of nurses in Pharmaceutical care in Spain after the Nurse Prescribing Regulation approved in 2018 throughout exploring the views and expectations of health professionals involved in the representative settings.Methods and findingsIn depth interviews were conducted in a structure previously agreed by the European Demophac partnership around four topics associated with the Nursing ideal role in pharmaceutical care and the ideal interaction with other healthcare professionals. A grounded-theory approach based on Corbin & Strauss was conducted to interpret collected data from the Spanish most representative settings (primary care, specialized care and residential care for older population). Participants were health professionals involved in pharmaceutical care that accepted to participate (nurses (n = 7), physicians (n = 8) and pharmacists (n = 9)). A pharmaceutical care comprehensive model for the Spanish context considering the recently approved Nurse Prescribing role and the interprofessional collaboration and communication was developed towards facilitating the understanding in such context and the contribution to the unified European Demophac Framework.ConclusionsNurses are primarily responsible for population's Pharmaceutical Care while other professionals pivot on them to provide quality healthcare on a multidisciplinary level. Nurse prescribing may contribute efficiently to the Spanish Health System though more consensus in terms of nurses' training nationwide and enhancement in communication among different professionals within healthcare organizations is required to achieve adequate integrated care into practice.

Dataset Information

Defining clinical empathy: a grounded theory approach from the perspective of healthcare workers and patients in a multicultural setting.

Objective

Design

Setting

Participants

Main outcome measures

Results

Conclusions

Publications

Defining clinical empathy: a grounded theory approach from the perspective of healthcare workers and patients in a multicultural setting.

Similar Datasets

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