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. 2022 Sep 28;12(9):e063375.
doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2022-063375.

Understanding of empathetic communication in acute hospital settings: a scoping review

Jaquille Haribhai-Thompson  1 , Karen McBride-Henry  1 , Caz Hales  2 , Helen Rook  2
Affiliations

Understanding of empathetic communication in acute hospital settings: a scoping review

Jaquille Haribhai-Thompson et al. BMJ Open. .

Abstract

Objective: Empathy and empathy education have been reviewed a number of times through systematic reviews and meta-analyses; however, the topic of 'empathetic communication' remains poorly understood when considering engaging in hospital-based research. Therefore, this scoping review aimed to explore the existing literature concerning empathetic communication in hospital settings and to evaluate the definitions presented.

Design: Scoping review.

Data sources: Systematic searches of the PubMed, CINAHL, Cochrane, PsycINFO, and PsycArticles databases were conducted.

Study selection: All English studies in which empathetic communication in hospital settings were explored. The search terms used included empathy, communication, hospital settings, providers, and consumers.

Data extraction: Data were assessed through the use of a pre-set analysis tool.

Results: After conducting the searches, 419 articles were identified, of which 26 were included in this review. No single article specifically defined the term 'empathetic communication'; however, 33 unique definitions of 'empathy' were identified, of which 23 considered communication to be a component of empathy. There was a considerable lack of consistency between the empathy definitions, with some classifying communication in empathy as an ability and others classifying it as a dynamic process.

Conclusion: Future and contextually focused research is needed to develop a consistent and clear definition of empathetic communication and empathy within a hospital setting to better build positive healthcare cultures.

Practice implications: Inconsistencies between definitions of empathy in empathetic communication research could reduce the efficacy of future research gains and impact the translation of research findings into clinical practice.

Keywords: health services administration & management; medical education & training; quality in health care.

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Conflict of interest statement

Competing interests: None declared.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
PRISMA diagram representing the scoping review literature search. PRISMA, Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses.
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