Impact of Empathy in the Patient-Doctor Relationship on Chronic Pain Relief and Quality of Life: A Prospective Study in Spanish Pain Clinics

Cánovas, L.; Carrascosa, A.J.; García, M Flórez; Fernández, M. Josep Plazas; Calvo, Almudena Castellano; Monsalve, V.; Soriano, José-Francisco

doi:10.1093/pm/pnx160

Cited by 45 publications

(35 citation statements)

References 39 publications

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“…Del Canale et al 33 reported that physician empathy was associated with disease complications in diabetic patients. Cánovas et al 34 confirmed that doctors’ empathy helped to relieve pain in patients with moderate-to-severe chronic pain. These findings suggest that medical staff should focus on improving their empathy toward patients.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 95%

Effects of doctors’ empathy abilities on the cellular immunity of patients with advanced prostate cancer treated by orchiectomy: the mediating role of patients’ stigma, self-efficacy, and anxiety

Yang¹,

Xiao²,

Wang³

et al. 2018

PPA

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BackgroundThe empathy of doctors is closely related to patients’ outcomes. This research aimed to examine whether patients’ stigma, self-efficacy, and anxiety mediate the relationship between doctors’ empathy and cellular immunity in patients with advanced prostate cancer treated by orchiectomy.Participants and methodsData on the empathy of doctors and the demographics, disease condition, stigma, self-efficacy, and anxiety of patients were collected. Patients’ psychological indicators and cellular immunity were measured at admission, after 14 days, and after 3 months. The variance analysis test was used to compare the immune indices at the three time points. At T3, a multivariate linear regression model was used to analyze the factors that influenced the immune index. Pearson correlation analysis and structural equation modeling were used to examine the relationships among patients’ stigma, self-efficacy, anxiety, and cellular immunity and doctors’ empathy.ResultsAt the three time points, all three psychological indicators of the patients were statistically significant. Among the immune indices, only the change in the percentage of NK cells (NK subset) was statistically significant, while the changes in the percentages of CD3+, CD4+, CD8+, and B cells were not statistically significant. The doctors’ empathy showed negative relationships with patients’ stigma and anxiety and a positive relationship with patients’ self-efficacy. Patients’ stigma and anxiety were negatively associated with NK subset, while patients’ self-efficacy showed a positive relationship with NK subset. Anxiety was positively related to stigma and negatively related to self-efficacy. Therefore, the effect of the doctors’ empathy on the patients’ NK subset was mediated by the patients’ stigma, self-efficacy, and anxiety.ConclusionDoctors’ empathy affected the NK subset in advanced prostate cancer patients and was related to the patients’ stigma, self-efficacy, and anxiety. In addition, anxiety directly affected stigma and self-efficacy. Thus, medical staff should focus on improving their empathy toward patients. Interventions that focus on patients’ anxiety, stigma, and self-efficacy may be helpful to improve immunity.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 95%

Effects of doctors’ empathy abilities on the cellular immunity of patients with advanced prostate cancer treated by orchiectomy: the mediating role of patients’ stigma, self-efficacy, and anxiety

Yang¹,

Xiao²,

Wang³

et al. 2018

PPA

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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“…The positive effect of doctor-patient empathy on patients has been confirmed in previous studies. For example, Cánovas et al found empathy of physicians helped relief pain and increase quality of life in patients with chronic pain [38]. Thompson et al proved that empathy improved patient-centered care quality and the outcome of heart disease patients [39].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mediating Roles of Anxiety, Self-Efficacy, and Sleep Quality on the Relationship Between Patient-Reported Physician Empathy and Inflammatory Markers in Ulcerative Colitis Patients

Chen

Zhang²,

Xu³

et al. 2019

Med Sci Monit

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BackgroundEmpathy between doctor and patient has an important bearing on patient health. The purpose of this study was to assess whether anxiety, sleep quality, and self-efficacy of patients have mediating effects in the relationship of patient-reported physician empathy and inflammatory factor in ulcerative colitis (UC) patients.Material/MethodsThis study included 242 patients attended by 45 doctors. Self-reported doctors’ empathy ability was measured at patient admission (T1), and patient-reported physician empathy was measured 3 months later (T2). Patient anxiety, general self-efficacy, sleep, and inflammatory factor (IL-6) were measured on T1 and T2. Pearson correlation analysis was used to assess the relationships between self-reported doctor empathy ability and patient indices on T1 and T2. The relationships between anxiety, sleep quality, self-efficacy, IL-6, and patient-reported physician empathy were measured by Pearson correlation analysis and structural equation modeling.ResultsOn T1, no significant correlation was reported between self-reported doctors’ empathy ability and indices of the patients (P>0.05). On T2, self-reported doctors’ empathy ability was significantly positively correlated with patient sleep and self-efficacy (P<0.01), and significantly negatively correlated with patient anxiety and IL-6 (P<0.01). Moreover, on T2, patient-reported physician empathy was negatively correlated with anxiety and IL-6 and was positively correlated with self-efficacy and sleep quality. The effect of patient-reported physician empathy on IL-6 was mediated by anxiety, sleep quality, and self-efficacy.ConclusionsThe anxiety, self-efficacy, and sleep quality of UC patients had mediating effects in the relationship between patient-reported physician empathy and IL-6.

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“…In healthcare, empathy is defined as a cognitive attribute involving an understanding of the patient's experience and perspective, as a separate individual, combined with an ability to communicate that understanding to the patient [ 16 ]. Interestingly, it has been suggested that high levels of empathy were related to positive outcomes for patients [ 17 – 19 ] and especially with chronic pain patients [ 20 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Although many studies support the benefits of PCC, [ 21 ]its use in chronic pain management seems to be challenging and suboptimal [ 20 , 22 ]. Patient-centered behaviour or communication does not necessarily translate into a “unique recipe,” and caregivers seem to use a flexible style according to patient characteristics [ 23 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Impact of Pain Invisibility on Patient-Centered Care and Empathetic Attitude in Chronic Pain Management

Paul-Savoie

Bourgault

Potvin

et al. 2018

Pain Research and Management

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Objectives The use of interdisciplinary patient-centered care (PCC) and empathetic behaviour seems to be a promising avenue to address chronic pain management, but their use in this context seems to be suboptimal. Several patient factors can influence the use of PCC and empathy, but little is known about the impact of pain visibility on these behaviours. The objective of this study was to investigate the influence of visible physical signs on caregiver's patient-centered and empathetic behaviours in chronic pain context. Methods A convenience sample of 21 nurses and 21 physicians participated in a descriptive study. PCC and empathy were evaluated from self-assessment and observer's assessment using a video of real patients with chronic pain. Results The results show that caregivers have demonstrated an intraindividual variability: PCC and empathetic behaviours of the participants were significantly higher for patients who have visible signs of pain (rheumatoid arthritis and complex regional pain syndrome) than for those who have no visible signs (Ehler–Danlos syndrome and fibromyalgia) (p < 0.001). Participants who show a greater difference in their patient-centered behaviour according to pain visibility have less clinical experience. Discussion The pain visibility in chronic pain patients is an important factor contributing to an increased use of PCC and empathy by nurses and physicians, and clinical experience can influence their behaviours. Thus, pain invisibility can be a barrier to quality of care, and these findings reinforce the relevance to educating caregivers to these unconscious biases on their behaviour toward chronic pain patients.

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Impact of Empathy in the Patient-Doctor Relationship on Chronic Pain Relief and Quality of Life: A Prospective Study in Spanish Pain Clinics

Abstract: Physicians' empathy and patients' dispositional optimism have a role in determining positive outcomes in patients with chronic pain. Physicians' empathy may therefore be a suitable, yet relatively unexplored, target for intervention.

Cited by 45 publications

References 39 publications

Effects of doctors’ empathy abilities on the cellular immunity of patients with advanced prostate cancer treated by orchiectomy: the mediating role of patients’ stigma, self-efficacy, and anxiety

Effects of doctors’ empathy abilities on the cellular immunity of patients with advanced prostate cancer treated by orchiectomy: the mediating role of patients’ stigma, self-efficacy, and anxiety

Mediating Roles of Anxiety, Self-Efficacy, and Sleep Quality on the Relationship Between Patient-Reported Physician Empathy and Inflammatory Markers in Ulcerative Colitis Patients

The Impact of Pain Invisibility on Patient-Centered Care and Empathetic Attitude in Chronic Pain Management

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Impact of Empathy in the Patient-Doctor Relationship on Chronic Pain Relief and Quality of Life: A Prospective Study in Spanish Pain Clinics

Abstract: Physicians' empathy and patients' dispositional optimism have a role in determining positive outcomes in patients with chronic pain. Physicians' empathy may therefore be a suitable, yet relatively unexplored, target for intervention.

Cited by 45 publications

References 39 publications

Effects of doctors&rsquo; empathy abilities on the cellular immunity of patients with advanced prostate cancer treated by orchiectomy: the mediating role of patients&rsquo; stigma, self-efficacy, and anxiety

Effects of doctors&rsquo; empathy abilities on the cellular immunity of patients with advanced prostate cancer treated by orchiectomy: the mediating role of patients&rsquo; stigma, self-efficacy, and anxiety

Mediating Roles of Anxiety, Self-Efficacy, and Sleep Quality on the Relationship Between Patient-Reported Physician Empathy and Inflammatory Markers in Ulcerative Colitis Patients

The Impact of Pain Invisibility on Patient-Centered Care and Empathetic Attitude in Chronic Pain Management

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Product

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Effects of doctors’ empathy abilities on the cellular immunity of patients with advanced prostate cancer treated by orchiectomy: the mediating role of patients’ stigma, self-efficacy, and anxiety

Effects of doctors’ empathy abilities on the cellular immunity of patients with advanced prostate cancer treated by orchiectomy: the mediating role of patients’ stigma, self-efficacy, and anxiety