Let's talk about empathy!

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.