Perceptions of Empathic and Compassionate Healthcare Encounters: An International Exploratory Qualitative Descriptive Study.
Katie J Tunks Leach, Mary-Ellen Barker, Caz Hales and 7 others
PMID 40241327WHAT IT FOUND
Patients and families said empathic care was built from listening, eye contact, calm words, sitting with distress, and brief kind gestures.
They also said poor communication could leave people judged, hurt, or not returning.
Key findings
01Patients and families described empathic and compassionate care as requiring both verbal and non-verbal communication, including active listening, appropriate words, being present, acknowledging and reflecting understanding.
02Participants said clinician attitudes and behaviours shaped whether care felt empathic, including demeanour, kindness, perceived competence, and a non-judgmental manner.
03Participants reported that empathic and compassionate care had immediate and long-lasting effects, while its absence left people feeling traumatised, hurt, and let down.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The study used convenience sampling and an online short-answer survey, so it cannot show how common these perceptions are or prove that specific behaviours cause better care. Participants were mostly female, older, and from English-speaking countries, and many encounters were with doctors or nurses, so it says little about other groups or disciplines. Phase 1 over-represented negative experiences and Phase 2 focused on positive ones, and data were collected before and after the pandemic, which may have shaped what people reported. The authors were nursing academics, and their own values and experiences may have influenced interpretation, although they used reflexive and team-checking methods.
Declared interests
The authors declare no conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read this as evidence that empathy or compassion training improves clinical outcomes. It reports what patients and families remembered and felt about encounters, not a tested intervention or measured health result.