Empathic Validation in Physician-Patient Communication
An Approach to Conveying Empathy for Problems With Uncertain Solutions
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 5455467 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Caroline K Tietbohl (0000-0002-9540-3050, Adult and Child Consortium for Health Outcomes Research and Delivery Science (ACCORDS), Children’s Hospital Colorado, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2022 |
| Volume | 32 |
| Issue | 3 |
| Pages | 413-425 |
| Publication date | 2022-02-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Qualitative Health Research (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1049-7323 • E-ISSN: 1552-7557 |
| Publisher | SAGE Publications Inc (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.1177/10497323211056312 |
| PMID | 34894864 |
| OpenAlex | W4200509401 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 13 |
| References cited | 48 |
Interest in systematic approaches to improving clinical empathy has increased. However, conceptualizations of empathy are inconsistent and difficult to operationalize. Drawing on video recordings of primary care visits with older adults, I describe one particular communication strategy for conveying empathy-empathic validation. Using conversation analysis, I show that the design of empathic validations and the context in which they are delivered are critical to positive patient responses. Effective empathic validations must (a) demonstrate shared understanding and (b) support the patient's position. Physicians provided empathic validation when there was no medical solution to offer and within this context, for three purposes: (1) normalizing changes in health, (2) acknowledging individual difficulty, and (3) recognizing actions or choices. Empathic validation is a useful approach because it does not rely on patients' ability to create an 'empathic opportunity' and has particular relevance for older adults
Conversation · Conversation analysis · Empathic concern · Empathy · Health care · Operationalization · Perspective-taking · Applied Psychology · Clinical Reasoning and Diagnostic Skills · Communication · Empathy and Medical Education · Patient-Provider Communication in Healthcare · Psychology · Social Psychology
“It’s Not an Intervention; It’s a Philosophy”
Understanding Family Caregiver’s Self-Initiated Expressions of Concern
Talking About Things
Can We Talk About Empathy? Communication Students’ Perspectives
Deflecting Before Prescribing
The protective role of sense of coherence in resident physicians facing secondary trauma due to patient death in intensive care—A qualitative inquiry
Validating nonverbal cues for assessing physician empathy in telemedicine
The components of reassurance for no-problem diagnoses
Embodying the (Dis)embodiment
Empathy in clinical performance examinations
Making Conversation Analysis Accessible
Interpretation inaccuracies in pain communication between Hmong patients and clinicians in the USA
Speaking Stoma
Empathy and Moral Development
Falls in older people
A Model of Empathic Communication in the Medical Interview
Association of Perceived Medical Errors With Resident Distress and Empathy
Empathy present and future
Territories of knowledge, territories of experience
Empathy, Attitudes, and Action
Glossary of transcript symbols with an introduction
On Displaying Empathy
Crying Receipts
Always Look on the Bright Side of Life
Empathy” and “Sympathy” in Action
Doing empathy and sympathy
What do displays of empathy do in palliative care consultations
An Alternative View of Self-Discharge Against Medical Advice
Feeling Their Stories
Qualitative Assessment of Bad News Delivery Practices during Miscarriage Diagnosis
The Language of Compassion in Acute Mental Health Care
"Experiencing "The Other Side
Patients' Experiences of Cardiovascular Health Education and Risk Communication
Living a Life Full of Pain
Revealing moments
Empathy displays as interactional achievements-Multimodal and sequential aspects
Patient Disclosure of Medical Misdeeds
| Unique citing works | 13 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 3,25 |
| Citation span | 2022 - 2026 (5) |
| Citation velocity | current |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 13 |