More than a feeling? What does compassion in healthcare ‘look like’ to patients

Bibliographic Data

ID19506646
AuthorsSofie I Baguley (Department of Psychological Medicine, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences University of Auckland Auckland New Zealand), Anna Pavlova (0000-0002-7825-5746, Department of Psychological Medicine, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences University of Auckland Auckland New Zealand), Nathan S Consedine (0000-0002-7691-0938, Department of Psychological Medicine, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences University of Auckland Auckland New Zealand, corresponding author)
Year2022
Volume25
Issue4
Pages1691-1702
Publication date2022-08-01
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueHealth Expectations (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1369-6513 • E-ISSN: 1369-7625
PublisherWiley (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1111/hex.13512
PMID35661516
OpenAlexW4281767844
LanguageEN
Citations received6
References cited65

OBJECTIVE: Compassion is important to patients and their families, predicts positive patient and practitioner outcomes, and is a professional requirement of physicians around the globe. Yet, despite the value placed on compassion, the empirical study of compassion remains in its infancy and little is known regarding what compassion 'looks like' to patients. The current study addresses limitations in prior work by asking patients what physicians do that helps them feel cared for. METHODS: Topic modelling analysis was employed to identify empirical commonalities in the text responses of 767 patients describing physician behaviours that led to their feeling cared for. RESULTS: Descriptively, seven meaningful groupings of physician actions experienced as compassion emerged: listening and paying attention (71% of responses), following-up and running tests (11%), continuity and holistic care (8%), respecting preferences (4%), genuine understanding (2%), body language and empathy (2%) and counselling and advocacy (1%). CONCLUSION: These findings supplement prior work by identifying concrete actions that are experienced as caring by patients. These early data may provide clinicians with useful information to enhance their ability to customize care, strengthen patient-physician relationships and, ultimately, practice medicine in a way that is experienced as compassionate by patients. PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION: This study involves the analysis of data provided by a diverse sample of patients from the general community population of New Zealand

Active listening · Compassion · Empathy · Empirical research · Feeling · Health care · Population · Psychotherapist · Empathy and Medical Education · Medicine · Mindfulness and Compassion Interventions · Nursing · Pain Management and Placebo Effect · Psychology · Social Psychology

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