Let's talk about empathy!

Léonore Robieux; Lucille Karsenti; Marc Pocard; Cécile Flahault

doi:10.1016/j.pec.2017.06.024

Let's talk about empathy!

Patient Educ Couns. 2018 Jan;101(1):59-66. doi: 10.1016/j.pec.2017.06.024. Epub 2017 Jun 19.

Authors

Léonore Robieux¹, Lucille Karsenti², Marc Pocard³, Cécile Flahault⁴

Affiliations

¹ Laboratory of Psychopathology and Health Psychology (LPPS), Psychology Institute of Paris-Descartes University, Sorbone Paris Cité, 71 avenue Edouard Vaillant, 92100 Boulogne Billancourt, France; Laboratory of Individual-Workplace(LATI), Psychology Institute of Paris-Descartes University, Sorbone Paris Cité, 71 avenue Edouard Vaillant, 92100 Boulogne Billancourt, France; Digestive and Oncology Surgery unit, Lariboisière Hospital, Public Assistance Hospitals of Paris, 2 rue Ambroise Paré, 75475 Paris Cedex 10, France. Electronic address: leo.robieux@gmail.com.
² Laboratory of Psychopathology and Health Psychology (LPPS), Psychology Institute of Paris-Descartes University, Sorbone Paris Cité, 71 avenue Edouard Vaillant, 92100 Boulogne Billancourt, France.
³ Digestive and Oncology Surgery unit, Lariboisière Hospital, Public Assistance Hospitals of Paris, 2 rue Ambroise Paré, 75475 Paris Cedex 10, France; INSERM U965, Carcinomatosis Angiogenesis and Translational Research (CART), Paris Diderot University, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Paris, France.
⁴ Laboratory of Psychopathology and Health Psychology (LPPS), Psychology Institute of Paris-Descartes University, Sorbone Paris Cité, 71 avenue Edouard Vaillant, 92100 Boulogne Billancourt, France; Psycho-oncology unit, Institut Curie, 26 rue d'Ulm, 75248 Paris cedex 05, France.

PMID: 28668634
DOI: 10.1016/j.pec.2017.06.024

Abstract

Background: Research faces a challenge to find a shared, adequate and scientific definition of empathy.

Objective: Our work aimed to analyze what clinical empathy is in the specific context of cancer care and to identify the effect of empathy in it.

Method: This study gives voice to physicians with extensive experience in cancer care. This original research combines qualitative data collection and quantitative data analysis. Semi-structured individual interviews were conducted with 25 physicians. The content of the interviews was analyzed according to the Content Analysis Technique.

Results: Empathy is described according to six dimensions that give a strong role to interpersonal and cognitive skills. This description integrates previous and various conceptualizations of clinical empathy. Physicians detail the beneficial effects of clinical empathy on patients' outcomes and well-being as well as physicians' practices. Physician interviews also revealed the relationship between empathic concerns and physicians' emotional difficulties.

Conclusion: Empathy in cancer care is a complex process and a multicomponent competence.

Practice implications: This operational description of clinical empathy has three main implications: to draw up a training program for physicians, to detail recommendations for physicians' work-related quality of life and to develop new tools to measure empathy.

Keywords: Cancer; Clinical practice; Empathy; Mixed approach; Outcomes.

MeSH terms

Adult
Aged
Communication
Empathy*
Humans
Interviews as Topic
Middle Aged
Neoplasms / psychology*
Neoplasms / therapy
Physician-Patient Relations
Physicians / psychology*
Qualitative Research
Quality of Life / psychology*