Measuring empathic, person-centred communication in primary care nurses: validity and reliability of the Consultation and Relational Empathy (CARE) Measure

[Systematic review of the primary care quality assessment instruments used in the last 10 years]

OBJECTIVE

There are numerous instruments in the scientific literature for the evaluation of the quality of Primary Care (PC) and to know which of them are the most used and in which countries provides more information to make a well-founded decision. The aim is to determine which, between 2013 and 2023, have been the instruments used to assess the international quality of PC, its evolution and geographical distribution.

DESIGN

Systematic review.

DATA SOURCES

PubMed and Embase. From March to December 2023.

INCLUSION CRITERIA

1) Validation studies of specific assessment instruments to measure the quality of PC and/or the satisfaction of patients, providers or managers. 2) carried out in the field of PC and 3) published between 1/01/2013 and 01/02/2023. 83 full-text articles were included.

DATA EXTRACTION

From each publication, an instrument used to evaluate the quality of the PC, attributes of the PC it evaluates, recipient of the evaluation, user, provider or manager, year, and country.

RESULTS

Fifteen PC assessment instruments were found. The most widely used is the Primary Care Assessing Tool (PCAT), with wide geographical distribution, versions in several languages, is more limited in Europe, except in Spain, and is mostly used in the Primary Care Assessing Tool (PCAT).

CONCLUSIONS

The PCAT, due to its cultural adaptability, availability in several languages, its ability to evaluate the fundamental principles of PC enunciated by the World Health Organization and to contemplate the perspectives of all health agents, is a complete, versatile, and consistent questionnaire for the evaluation of the quality of PC.

Meaningful connections: An education program to enhance resident-certified nursing assistant relationships

Close relationships between nursing home residents and Certified Nursing Assistants (CNAs) result in positive outcomes for both residents and staff, including increased well-being for residents. However, many resident-CNA relationships remain superficial, are focused primarily on physical care, and interpersonal skill training for CNAs is sparse. The purpose of this study was to develop an education program to foster CNAs' interpersonal skills and relationship development. We conducted a literature review on CNA interpersonal skill training and disseminated a survey to CNAs to inform the education program. Literature review findings revealed that CNAs value their relationships with residents and desire more interpersonal training, but this training is often limited. The survey, which was disseminated via social media and facility contact referrals, asked responding CNAs (n = 73) to evaluate their perceptions of empowerment, interpersonal skill competency, and learning preferences. We found that most CNAs feel confident in their interpersonal skills, but they lack training in boundary-setting and bereavement support. About one-third of respondents did not feel that their work was valued or their strengths recognized by their supervisors. Most respondents reported that they valued visual (85%), experiential (91%) learning. The final program, Meaningful Connections, includes nine modules covering topics such as person-centered caregiving, empathy, emotional intelligence, and boundary-setting. One supplementary module provides potential adaptations to the curriculum to customize the needs of each participant group. The results of this project suggest a need for more CNA relationship training and support, especially in the areas of boundary-setting and bereavement.

Validity and reliability of the Spanish version of the consultation and relational empathy measure in dental students (Sp-Dent-CARE): A cross-sectional study

INTRODUCTION

An evaluation was made of the psychometric properties of a Spanish version of the Consultation and Relational Empathy Measure (CARE) to assess relational empathy in undergraduate dental students. In addition, the influence of demographic, socio-economic and consultation-related factors upon the degree of perceived empathy and overall satisfaction was studied.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A cross-sectional study was carried out in patients seen in the Oral Surgery Unit by fourth year dental students. Dentists, specialized translators and psychologists developed the translation of the questionnaire. After a pilot test, a convenience sample of patients was included. Construct validity was tested by factor analysis using principal component analysis with varimax rotation and Kaiser standardization, and internal consistency was assessed by Cronbach's α.

RESULTS

Two pilot tests were carried out with a panel of experts until the final version of the questionnaire was established. In the validation stage, 191 patients participated (92 men and 99 women), with a mean age of 52.5 ± 17 years. The mean score of the CARE measure was 47.2 ± 4.4, and 57.6% of the patients (n = 110) reported the maximum score on the questionnaire. The final version showed a 1-factor solution explaining 68.6% of the total variance, with excellent final internal consistency (α = 93.4%).

CONCLUSION

The Spanish version of the CARE measure affords high reliability and validity in assessing relational empathy in dental students. Perceived empathy is related to overall satisfaction. Patient demographics and the number of visits do not influence perceived empathy.

CARECOS study: Medical students' empathy as assessed with the CARE measure by examiners versus standardized patients during a formative Objective and Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) station

PURPOSE

To assess the Consultation And Relational Empathy (CARE) measure as a tool for examiners to assess medical students' empathy during Objective and Structured Clinical Examinations (OSCEs), as the best tool for assessing empathy during OSCEs remains unknown.

METHODS

We first assessed the psychometric properties of the CARE measure, completed simultaneously by examiners and standardized patients (SP, either teachers - SPteacher - or civil society members - SPcivil society), for each student, at the end of an OSCE station. We then assessed the qualitative/quantitative agreement between examiners and SP.

RESULTS

We included 129 students, distributed in eight groups, four groups for each SP type. The CARE measure showed satisfactory psychometric properties in the context of the study but moderate, and even poor inter-rater reliability for some items. Considering paired observations, examiners scored lower than SPs (p < 0.001) regardless of the SP type. However, the difference in score was greater when the SP was a SPteacher rather than a SPcivil society (p < 0.01).

CONCLUSION

Despite acceptable psychometric properties, inter-rater reliability of the CARE measure between examiners and SP was unsatisfactory. The choice of examiner as well as the type of SP seems critical to ensure a fair measure of empathy during OSCEs.

An interdisciplinary intervention for children and adolescents with multiple referrals and complex health complaints: a feasibility study

BACKGROUND

Children and adolescents with complex health complaints are often referred to several different healthcare specialists for assessments and treatment. This may result in fragmented care, higher risks of medical errors, and sub-optimal health outcomes. The aim of this non-controlled open label trial was to evaluate the feasibility of implementing a new interdisciplinary intervention for children and adolescents with multiple referrals and complex health complaints and to gather experiences from participating children, adolescents and parents.

METHODS

In all, 47 children and adolescents aged 6-16 years with multiple referrals at a tertiary hospital were invited to participate. The intervention was a half-day consultation based on a biopsychosocial model. The aim of the intervention was to clarify the child/adolescent's condition(s) and provide a joint understanding and treatment plan in collaboration with the family. A team consisting of a pediatrician, a physiotherapist and a psychologist delivered the intervention. Acceptance and completion rate was recorded, and child- and parent-experience measures were collected; the children and adolescents completed the Visual Consultation and Relational Empathy Scale (CARE) five questions and parents completed two de novo created measures about their experiences.

RESULTS

Almost all invited families consented to participate (96%) and ultimately received the interdisciplinary intervention (92%). Mean age of the children and adolescents was 12 years, and under half were boys (40%). Before the intervention, 39 (91%) parents completed a questionnaire about previous experiences with healthcare. After the consultation 39 children and adolescents (91%) and 40 (93%) parents completed the questionnaire regarding their experience with the interdisciplinary intervention. Of the children and adolescents, 18-30 (47-77%) rated relational empathy in the intervention as "Very good" or "Excellent". Of the parents, 35-39 (92-100%) rated their experience with the consultation using the more positive response options. The parents were significantly more content with the intervention compared to previously received healthcare (p < .001).

CONCLUSIONS

The present intervention was highly acceptable with positively reported experiences from parents of, and children and adolescents with, complex health complaints. A future randomized controlled trial is required to test the effectiveness of this intervention.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

The study was registered at ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04652154 03.12.2020. Retrospectively registered.

A Motivational Interviewing Chatbot With Generative Reflections for Increasing Readiness to Quit Smoking: Iterative Development Study

BACKGROUND

The motivational interviewing (MI) approach has been shown to help move ambivalent smokers toward the decision to quit smoking. There have been several attempts to broaden access to MI through text-based chatbots. These typically use scripted responses to client statements, but such nonspecific responses have been shown to reduce effectiveness. Recent advances in natural language processing provide a new way to create responses that are specific to a client's statements, using a generative language model.

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to design, evolve, and measure the effectiveness of a chatbot system that can guide ambivalent people who smoke toward the decision to quit smoking with MI-style generative reflections.

METHODS

Over time, 4 different MI chatbot versions were evolved, and each version was tested with a separate group of ambivalent smokers. A total of 349 smokers were recruited through a web-based recruitment platform. The first chatbot version only asked questions without reflections on the answers. The second version asked the questions and provided reflections with an initial version of the reflection generator. The third version used an improved reflection generator, and the fourth version added extended interaction on some of the questions. Participants' readiness to quit was measured before the conversation and 1 week later using an 11-point scale that measured 3 attributes related to smoking cessation: readiness, confidence, and importance. The number of quit attempts made in the week before the conversation and the week after was surveyed; in addition, participants rated the perceived empathy of the chatbot. The main body of the conversation consists of 5 scripted questions, responses from participants, and (for 3 of the 4 versions) generated reflections. A pretrained transformer-based neural network was fine-tuned on examples of high-quality reflections to generate MI reflections.

RESULTS

The increase in average confidence using the nongenerative version was 1.0 (SD 2.0; P=.001), whereas for the 3 generative versions, the increases ranged from 1.2 to 1.3 (SD 2.0-2.3; P<.001). The extended conversation with improved generative reflections was the only version associated with a significant increase in average importance (0.7, SD 2.0; P<.001) and readiness (0.4, SD 1.7; P=.01). The enhanced reflection and extended conversations exhibited significantly better perceived empathy than the nongenerative conversation (P=.02 and P=.004, respectively). The number of quit attempts did not significantly change between the week before the conversation and the week after across all 4 conversations.

CONCLUSIONS

The results suggest that generative reflections increase the impact of a conversation on readiness to quit smoking 1 week later, although a significant portion of the impact seen so far can be achieved by only asking questions without the reflections. These results support further evolution of the chatbot conversation and can serve as a basis for comparison against more advanced versions.

Activities to promote empathy for patients among pharmacy learners: A scoping review

BACKGROUND

Provider empathy has been shown to be directly linked to improved patient outcomes. The objective of this scoping review of the literature was to identify and describe learning activities that promote empathy for patients among pharmacy learners.

METHODS

This scoping review was conducted using the following inclusion criteria: publication in English, activities conducted in any academic pharmacy training program (professional degree program, experiential, residency, or fellowship), description of the learning activity(ies) provided, and focus on the experience of empathy/caring/compassion for patients, either human or animal. Articles were excluded if they focused only on skills such as empathic responding or if they did not describe the learning experience. All study designs other than reviews were included.

RESULTS

The scoping review revealed 89 full-text articles that met the inclusion criteria. Included studies demonstrated a wide variety of approaches to the design of learning experiences as well as methods of measurement of empathy. Various types of learning modalities have been used to develop empathy in pharmacy learners, with reflection being the most common. A large proportion of studies that assessed empathy development used quasi-experimental or qualitative designs and did not report tests of statistical significance, which would make it difficult to compare the effectiveness of the different learning activities.

IMPLICATIONS

A variety of approaches have been used among pharmacy learners to develop empathy for patients. Due to the high level of variability in approaches, more rigorous studies are needed to assess the effectiveness of these learning activities.

Development of the Italian version of the Consultation and Relational Empathy (CARE) measure: translation, internal reliability, and construct validity in patients undergoing rehabilitation after total hip and knee arthroplasty

PURPOSE

To translate and cross-culturally adapt the Consultation and Relational Empathy (CARE) measure into Italian, examine its internal reliability, and construct validity in a rehabilitation setting.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The translation process consisted of two forward translations, a pre-final version, a back-translation, and a final version, in accordance with available guidelines. We administered the Italian version of the CARE measure to 101 patients hospitalised for rehabilitation after total hip or total knee arthroplasty (THA and TKA). We assessed face validity, internal reliability, and construct validity.

RESULTS

Face validity was high. Patients answered all questions and the "does not apply" option was never selected. Internal reliability (Cronbach's α = 0.962) resulted in line with the original version. The exploratory factor analysis confirmed the unidimensional structure of the CARE measure with 74.82% of variance explained by the first factor.

CONCLUSIONS

The Italian version of the CARE measure showed high face validity. Internal reliability and construct validity were in line with the original version in patients undergoing rehabilitation after THA and TKA.IMPLICATIONS FOR REHABILITATIONInternal reliability and construct validity of the Italian version of the CARE measure are in line with those of the original version of the CARE measure.The Italian CARE measure can be used to assess patient's perceived therapist's empathy in patients undergoing physical therapy after THA and TKA.Physiotherapists should use the CARE measure with more caution in other rehabilitative contexts.

Youth-Reported School Connection and Experiences of a Middle School-Based Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment Initiative: Preliminary Results From a Program Evaluation

PURPOSE

This study aimed (1) to evaluate the feasibility of a school-based Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT) program that expands on traditional SBIRT to support the mental health and well-being of middle school students and (2) to assess its effects on students' connection with adults at school.

METHODS

Focus group discussions were conducted with 26 students in grades 6-8 to understand student perspectives about an innovative school-based SBIRT program. A subset of middle school students from the SBIRT program who received a brief intervention (BI) after screening (n = 116) were asked to rate their experience meeting with the interventionist in terms of feeling comfortable, feeling listened to, and talking about their goals. Additionally, these students' ratings of connection to adults at school was compared from the time of screening (baseline) to following BI using two-sided paired t-tests.

RESULTS

Students who participated in focus groups expressed favorable opinions about universal screening and this school-based SBIRT model and noted that relationship building with adults at school was an important factor for open communication and motivating behavior change for students. Nearly all students who completed the post-BI survey rated their experiences with interventionists during BI as "Excellent," "Very Good," or "Good" in all categories (98%). Students' reported mean school connection scores significantly higher after participation in school-based SBIRT than at baseline (5.9/8 vs. 7.0/8, p < .001).

DISCUSSION

Middle school students were satisfied with the school-based SBIRT model and participation in the program resulted in increased student connection with adults at school. These findings improve our understanding of the experience of SBIRT intervention with middle school students and on school connection in particular.

Validity and reliability of a Korean version of the Consultation and Relational Empathy (CARE) measure

BACKGROUND

No validated tool is available to assess patients' perception of physician empathy in Korea. The objective of this study was to establish a Korean version of the Consultation and Relational Empathy (CARE) measure-originally developed in English and widely used internationally-and to examine its reliability and validity.

METHODS

The CARE measure was translated into Korean and tested on 240 patients from one secondary care hospital and one tertiary care hospital in Korea. Internal consistency by Cronbach's alpha, exploratory analysis, and confirmatory factor analysis were conducted to verify the 10 items of the Korean CARE measure.

RESULTS

The Korean CARE measure demonstrated high acceptability and face validity, excellent internal reliability (Cronbach's alpha = 0.97) and moderate test-retest reliability (Pearson correlation coefficient = 0.53; Spearman correlation coefficient = 0.51). Distribution of scores showed negative skewedness. Corrected item-total correlations ranged from 0.77-0.92, indicating homogeneity. The Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin measure of sampling adequacy was 0.949, and Bartlett's test of sphericity was good (χ2 = 3157.11, P < 0.001). Factor analysis yielded a single dimensional structure of physician empathy with all factor loadings exceeding 0.80 and showing excellent goodness of fit.

CONCLUSION

This study supports the reliability and validity of the Korean CARE measure in a university hospital setting in Korea.

How are emotional distress and reassurance expressed in medical consultations for people with long-term conditions who were unable to receive curative treatment? A pilot observational study with huntington's disease and prostate cancer

Objective

It is unclear whether how people with long-term conditions express distress, and how clinicians respond, influences perceptions of consultation outcomes. The pilot study examined emotional distress and reassurance in consultations with people whose long-term conditions (at the time of consultations) were treated using active surveillance or symptom management (as no curative treatment was suitable).

Methods

An observational pilot study was conducted involving consultations between people with long-term conditions and their respective clinician. Consultations between three clinicians (two Huntington’s Disease; one Prostate Cancer) and 22 people with long-term conditions (11 Huntington’s Disease; 11 Prostate Cancer) were audio-recorded. Participants also completed an expanded Consultation and Relational Empathy (CARE) Measure. Two researchers coded sessions using Verona Coding Definitions of Emotional Sequences (VR-CoDES/VR-CoDES-P). Code frequencies were calculated, t tests performed between conditions, and Pearson’s correlations performed for associations between CARE responses and clinician utterances.

Results

People with long-term conditions expressed emotional distress on average 4.45 times per session, averaging 1.09 Concern and 3.36 Cue utterances. Clinicians responded with more explicit (2.59) and space-providing (3.36), than non-explicit (1.86) and space-reducing (1.09), responses per session. Clinicians expressed spontaneous reassurance on average 5.18 times per session, averaging 3.77 Cognitive and 1.5 Affective reassurance utterances. Huntington’s Disease consultations featured significantly more 'Cues', 'Concerns' and 'Overall' 'Emotional Distress', and 'Cognitive' and 'Overall' ‘Reassurance'.

Conclusion

Emotional distress was expressed more using hints than explicit concern utterances. Clinicians predominantly explicitly explored distress rather than providing information/advice and provided advice using spontaneous cognitive reassurance. People with Huntington’s Disease expressed more concerns and received more reassurance, indicating different needs between conditions. Future research is required to explore emotional distress and reassurance in a larger sample of participants and long-term condition types, and how the practical implications of these findings may be used to enhance outcomes of consultations.

Trial registration

N/A.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s40814-021-00833-z.

An evaluation of instruments measuring behavioural aspects of the nurse-patient relationship

The Fundamentals of Care Framework is an evidence-based, theory-informed framework that conceptualises high-quality fundamental care. The Framework places the nurse-patient relationship at the centre of care provision and outlines the nurse behaviours required for relationship development. Numerous instruments exist to measure behavioural aspects of the nurse-patient relationship; however, the literature offers little guidance on which instruments are psychometrically sound and best measure the core relationship elements of the Fundamentals of Care Framework. This study evaluated the quality of nurse-patient relationship instruments by (1) assessing their content development and measurement properties (e.g. dimensionality, targeting, reliability, validity) and (2) mapping instrument content to the Framework's core relationship elements: trust, focus, anticipate, know, and evaluate. Twenty-seven instruments were evaluated. Findings demonstrated that patients and nurses were rarely involved in item development. Most instruments exhibited poor measurement properties, with only one instrument having complete information on all quality indicators. Instrument content focused primarily on nurses getting to know patients and earning their trust, with only 54, 18, and 1 item(s), respectively, measuring 'focus', 'anticipate' and 'evaluate'. Hence, there does not appear to be a robust instrument measuring behavioural aspects of nurse-patient relationships, nor one capturing the relationship elements of the Fundamentals of Care Framework.

Treatment satisfaction mediates the association between perceived physician empathy and psychological distress in a community sample of individuals with chronic pain

OBJECTIVE

While the benefits of patient-centered care have been consistently demonstrated in the health literature, there exists a dearth of pathway research within health outcome research, especially within the chronic pain context. This study examined the relationship between perceived physician empathy and patient psychological distress and its underlying mechanism.

METHODS

A community sample of 259 adults with chronic pain completed online questionnaires measuring patient-perceived physician empathy, treatment satisfaction, depressive and anxiety symptoms. Analyses were conducted using correlational and mediation analyses.

RESULTS

Results revealed perceived empathy to be positively and strongly correlated with treatment satisfaction (r = .72, p < .001). A significant negative correlation was also demonstrated between perceived empathy and depressive symptoms (r = -.13, p < .05), but not between perceived empathy and anxious symptoms (r = .03, p = .65). Results revealed significant mediation models between perceived empathy and patient depressive symptoms (indirect effect: B = -.19, SE =.06, 95 % CI [-.31, -.09]) and anxious symptoms (indirect effect: B = -.24, SE = .06, 95 % CI [-.35, -.14]), via treatment satisfaction as mediator and including covariates.

CONCLUSION

Chronic pain patients who perceive greater levels of physician empathy experience fewer depressive and anxious symptoms, as mediated by treatment satisfaction.

PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS

Clinical training and practice should promote empathetic components of health communication within chronic pain treatment.

Socioeconomic, racial and ethnic differences in patient experience of clinician empathy: Results of a systematic review and meta-analysis

Introduction

Empathy is essential for high quality health care. Health care disparities may reflect a systemic lack of empathy for disadvantaged people; however, few data exist on disparities in patient experience of empathy during face-to-face health care encounters with individual clinicians. We systematically analyzed the literature to test if socioeconomic status (SES) and race/ethnicity disparities exist in patient-reported experience of clinician empathy.

Methods

Using a published protocol, we searched Ovid MEDLINE, PubMed, CINAHL, EMBASE, CENTRAL and PsychINFO for studies using the Consultation and Relational Empathy (CARE) Measure, which to date is the most commonly used and well-validated methodology for measuring clinician empathy from the patient perspective. We included studies containing CARE Measure data stratified by SES and/or race/ethnicity. We contacted authors to request stratified data, when necessary. We performed quantitative meta-analyses using random effects models to test for empathy differences by SES and race/ethnicity.

Results

Eighteen studies (n = 9,708 patients) were included. We found that, compared to patients whose SES was not low, low SES patients experienced lower empathy from clinicians (mean difference = -0.87 [95% confidence interval -1.72 to -0.02]). Compared to white patients, empathy scores were numerically lower for patients of multiple race/ethnicity groups (Black/African American, Asian, Native American, and all non-whites combined) but none of these differences reached statistical significance.

Conclusion

These data suggest an empathy gap may exist for patients with low SES. More research is needed to further test for SES and race/ethnicity disparities in clinician empathy and help promote health care equity.

Trial registration

Registration (PROSPERO): CRD42019142809.

Multi-Morbidity in the Older Person: An Examination of Polypharmacy and Socioeconomic Status

There has been increased focus on clinically managing multi-morbidity in the older population, but it can be challenging to find appropriate paradigm that addresses the socio-economic burden and risk for polypharmacy. The Commission on Social Determinants of Health (CSDH) has examined the need for institutional change and the parallel need to address the social causes of poor health. This study explored three potential interventions namely, meaningful information from electronic health records (EHR), social prescribing, and redistributive welfare policies from a person-centered perspective using the CARE (connecting, assessing, responding, and empowering) approach. Economic instruments that immediately redistribute state welfare and reduce income disparity such as direct taxation and conditional cash transfers could be adopted to enable older people with long-term conditions have access to healthcare services. Decreased socioeconomic inequality and unorthodox prescriptive interventions that reduce polypharmacy could mitigate barriers to effectively manage the complexities of multi-morbidity.

Bridging the Gap for Children With Compound Health Challenges: An Intervention Protocol

Background: During the last decades, there is a major shift in the panorama of diseases in children and adolescents. More children are referred to the specialized health care services due to less specific symptoms and more complex health challenges. These children are particularly difficult to care for in a "single-disease" oriented system. Our objective was to develop an alternative and more holistic approach better tailored to the complex needs of these children. Method: The target patient population is children between 6 and 13 years with three or more referrals including both the pediatric department and the mental health services. Furthermore, to be included in the project, the child's actual complaints needed to be clinically considered as an unclear or compound condition in need of an alternative approach. This paper describes the process of developing an intervention where a complementary professional team meets the patient and his/her family altogether for 2.5 h. The consultation focus on clarifying the complex symptomatology and on problem solving. The bio-psycho-social model is applied, emphasizing the patient's story as told on the whiteboard. In the dynamic processes of development, piloting, evaluating, and adjusting the components, feed-back from the patients, their families, professional team members, and external team coaches is important. The professional teams include pediatricians, psychologists and physiotherapists. Achieving the transformation from a logistic oriented team where members act separately toward a real complementary team, seems to be a success factor. Discussion: Composing multi-disciplinary and complementary teams was an essential part of the re-designed intervention. Team interaction transforming the professionals from working as a logistic team to act as a complementary team, was one of the important requirements in the process. When re-designing the specialist health service, it is mandatory to anchor all changes among employees as well as the hospital leadership. In addition, it is important to include patient experiences in the process of improvement. Evaluation of long-term outcomes is needed to investigate possible benefits from the new intervention. Trial Registration: Transitioning Young Patients' Health Care Trajectories, NCT04652154. Registered December 3rd, 2020-Retrospectively registered, https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04652154?term=NCT04652154&draw=2&rank=1.

Exploring the psychometric properties of the Working Alliance Inventory in general practice: a cross-sectional study

Background

The therapeutic alliance is a framework from psychology that describes three components: goals, tasks, and bond. The Working Alliance Inventory adapted for general practice (WAI-GP) measures the strength of the therapeutic alliance between the patient and the clinician, and it could be useful in both research and clinical settings.

Aim

To determine if the patient score on WAI-GP can delineate the three components (goals, tasks, and bond), and to test concurrent validity with the Consultation and Relational Empathy (CARE) measure and the Patient Perception of Patient-Centredness (PPPC) measure.

Design & setting

A cross-sectional study took place in 12 general practice waiting rooms in Australia.

Method

The research instruments included the 12-item WAI-GP (the patient version), the CARE and PPPC measures, plus a survey of demographics and reason for consultation. To perform a principal components factor analysis of the WAI-GP, this dataset was combined with an existing dataset. The Spearman rank correlation was used to determine concurrent validity between the WAI-GP and the CARE and PPPC measures.

Results

Participants (97–99%) reported a strong positive alliance after the consultation (average WAI-GP mean 4.27 ± 0.67 out of 5, n = 146). Factor analysis could not separate the three components (one factor, eigenvalue >1; Cronbach’s α = 0.957; n = 281). Concurrent validity was supported by moderate correlations with the other measures (PPPC ρ = –0.51, P<0.005, CARE ρ = 0.56, P<0.005).

Conclusion

Three components could not be identified, but the WAI-GP has a high internal consistency and concurrent validity with moderate correlations with the CARE and PPPC. A more diverse sample may better distinguish the three components leading to more specific feedback to clinicians on their consultation practices.

Relationship Between Orthopedic Surgeon's Empathy and Inpatient Hospital Experience Scores in a Tertiary Care Academic Institution

Studies have examined the relationship between physician empathy and patient experience, but few have explored it in surgeons. The purpose of this study was to report on orthopedic surgeon empathy in a mutlispecialty practice and explore its association with orthopedic patient experience. Patients completed the consultation and relational empathy (CARE) measure (March 2017-August 2018) and Canadian Patient Experience Survey-Inpatient Care (CPES-IC; March 2017-February 2019) to assess empathy and patient experience, respectively. Consultation and relational empathy measures were correlated to CPES-IC for 3 surgeon-related questions pertaining to respect, listening, and explaining. Surgeon CARE scores (n = 1134) ranged from 42.0 ± 9.1 to 48.6 ± 2.4 with 50.4% of patients rating their surgeon as perfectly empathic. There were no significant differences between surgeons for CPES-IC continuous and topbox scores (n = 834) for respect and correlations between CPES-IC questions. The CARE measure for both continuous and topbox scores were weak to moderate, but none were significant. Empathy was associated with surgeon respect and careful listening, despite lack of significant correlation. Possible future work could use an empathy tool more appropriate for this surgeon population.

Exploring the educational opportunity and implementation of CARE among dental students in India

CONTEXT

Empathy is considered to be backbone of the patient-physician relationship. The consultation and relational empathy (CARE) measure is widely used internationally to measure empathy. However, no validated tool is available to gather patient feedback on dentists' empathy in India.

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this study was to explore the reliability and validity of a CARE measure and to assess the factors influencing CARE score and to determine if there was an association between their CARE score and satisfaction of the patient.

SETTING AND DESIGN

A cross-sectional study was done in dental colleges.

SUBJECTS AND METHODS

A questionnaire study was carried out among 100 patients from 6 dental colleges in Bangalore using validated CARE measure.

STATISTICAL ANALYSIS

Internal consistency of items was evaluated by the Cronbach's alpha, and construct validity was assessed by confirmatory factor analysis. Satisfaction was assessed by a question response on 5-point Likert scale. Descriptive and inferential statistics were performed with significance set at 5%.

RESULTS

The mean CARE score was 43.80 ± 5.36. Internal reliability was high (Cronbach's alpha: 0.859) and was reduced by the removal of any of 10 items. High corrected item-total correlations ranged from 0.752 to 0.847. Factor analysis showed a single solution with high item loadings (>0.80). Self-perception of overall health (odds ratio [OR] = 3.78), relationship with family (OR = 4.61) and friends (OR = 3.78), and previous dental experience (OR = 16.00) were more likely, whereas dentist-provided treatment (OR = 0.20), number (OR = 0.07) and dental treatment taken (OR = 0.13), presence of anxiety (OR = 0.03), and fear (OR = 0.05) were less likely to have CARE score. The satisfaction of the patient regressed significantly with the relationship with family members (ß = 0.77) and CARE score (ß = 0.21).

CONCLUSION

This study confirms the educational opportunity and implementation of CARE in dental students. CARE scores among patients varied depending on personal factors and dental treatment-related factors. The satisfaction of the patient was influenced by the relationship with family members and CARE scores.

The Effect of Robot Attentional Behaviors on User Perceptions and Behaviors in a Simulated Health Care Interaction: Randomized Controlled Trial

Background

For robots to be effectively used in health applications, they need to display appropriate social behaviors. A fundamental requirement in all social interactions is the ability to engage, maintain, and demonstrate attention. Attentional behaviors include leaning forward, self-disclosure, and changes in voice pitch.

Objective

This study aimed to examine the effect of robot attentional behaviors on user perceptions and behaviors in a simulated health care interaction.

Methods

A parallel randomized controlled trial with a 1:1:1:1 allocation ratio was conducted. We randomized participants to 1 of 4 experimental conditions before engaging in a scripted face-to-face interaction with a fully automated medical receptionist robot. Experimental conditions included a self-disclosure condition, voice pitch change condition, forward lean condition, and neutral condition. Participants completed paper-based postinteraction measures relating to engagement, perceived robot attention, and perceived robot empathy. We video recorded interactions and coded for participant attentional behaviors.

Results

A total of 181 participants were recruited from the University of Auckland. Participants who interacted with the robot in the forward lean and self-disclosure conditions found the robot to be significantly more stimulating than those who interacted with the robot in the voice pitch or neutral conditions (P=.03). Participants in the forward lean, self-disclosure, and neutral conditions found the robot to be significantly more interesting than those in the voice pitch condition (P<.001). Participants in the forward lean and self-disclosure conditions spent significantly more time looking at the robot than participants in the neutral condition (P<.001). Significantly, more participants in the self-disclosure condition laughed during the interaction (P=.01), whereas significantly more participants in the forward lean condition leant toward the robot during the interaction (P<.001).

Conclusions

The use of self-disclosure and forward lean by a health care robot can increase human engagement and attentional behaviors. Voice pitch changes did not increase attention or engagement. The small effects with regard to participant perceptions are potentially because of the limitations in self-report measures or a lack of comparison for most participants who had never interacted with a robot before. Further research could explore the use of self-disclosure and forward lean using a within-subjects design and in real health care settings.

Measurement of Perceived Physician Empathy in Orthopedic Patients

Background

Empathy is a key component of a therapeutic relationship. Perceived empathy and compassion are associated with patient satisfaction, reduced symptoms, and adherence to treatment.

Objective

To assess the advantages and disadvantages of the validated Jefferson Scale of Patient's Perception of Physician Empathy (JSPPPE) and the Consultation and Relational Empathy (CARE) tools.

Methods

Eighty-four patients completed the JSPPPE and the CARE measure. With Pearson's correlation and exploratory factor analysis, we measured the underlying construct. Flooring and ceiling effects were measured. Multivariable models were created to assess factors associated with both measures.

Results

The high interquestionnaire correlation (rho = 0.70) and factor loading (0.77) confirm that the JSPPPE and CARE measure the same construct. The CARE (55%) had a higher ceiling effect than JSPPPE (18%). Both JSPPPE (partial R ² = 0.53, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.38-0.64) and CARE (partial R ² = 0.60, 95% CI: 0.46-0.69) accounted for similar amounts of variation in satisfaction with the orthopedic surgeon.

Conclusion

Perceived empathy accounts for a substantial amount of the variation in satisfaction. The JSPPPE measures the same construct as CARE with a lower ceiling effect. Because both questionnaires have considerable ceiling effects, a new questionnaire might help to study factors associated with a more empathetic experience.

Measuring compassionate healthcare with the 12-item Schwartz Center Compassionate Care Scale

BACKGROUND

Patients and clinicians endorse the importance of compassionate healthcare but patients report gaps between its perceived importance and its demonstration. Empathy and compassion have been associated with quality of life and significant health outcomes but these characteristics are not optimally measured or used for performance and organizational improvement.

OBJECTIVE

To address these gaps, we conducted a study with the objective of evaluating the properties of the 12-item Schwartz Center Compassionate Care Scale® using psychometric analysis and cognitive debriefing.

METHODS

Non-hospitalized patients with multiple chronic conditions were sampled using an on-line platform. Classical test theory and Rasch measurement theory were used to evaluate psychometric properties of the scale. Structured questions elicited cognitive responses regarding clarity of each item.

RESULTS

Classical test theory analysis confirmed that the 12-item Schwartz Center Compassionate Care Scale is a unidimensional scale with excellent internal consistency and test-retest reliability. Patients' ratings of compassionate behaviors using the Schwartz Center Compassionate Care Scale correlated significantly with a related instrument designed to measure empathy, demonstrating convergent validity. Rasch measurement theory showed that reducing the number of response options on 3 items in the scale would improve respondents' discrimination between responses on these items. Although person-item threshold distribution analysis showed that patients may wish to rate compassionate care at levels both higher and lower than the scale permits, items could be ordered on an interval scale from low to high levels of compassionate care.

CONCLUSIONS

The current 12-item Schwartz Center Compassionate Care Scale demonstrates excellent psychometric properties by Classical Test Theory and Rasch measurement theory. The 12-item Schwartz Center Compassionate Care Scale adds questions related to understanding and discussing emotional, contextual issues and the needs of the patient and family. Easily completed on-line, it could be used for work-place based assessment and feedback to clinicians and performance or quality improvement.

Teaching empathy to nursing students: A randomised controlled trial

BACKGROUND

Empathy has been reported to produce a positive effect on improving patient health outcomes, becoming a fundamental skill in any health personnel-patient relationship.

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the effectiveness of an intervention designed to improve the nursing students´ empathy, the learning perception, the improvement of the perception in the understanding of the content, and in the degree of difficulty as well as the acquisition of skills.

DESIGN

Multicentre randomised controlled trial.

SETTING

This research was conducted at two schools of nursing at a public university in the Southwest of Spain.

PARTICIPANTS

116 nursing students were randomly assigned to an experimental or a control group (delayed intervention group once the post-training analysis was completed) during the second semester of the 2015/2016 academic year.

METHODS

Pre-test, post-test, and follow-up data were obtained for each group using a simulated clinical interview. Empathy was the primary outcome (The Consultation and Relational Empathy Measure, Jefferson Scale of Empathy student version, Reynolds Empathy Scale, and Carkhuff Scale). The students' perceived knowledge, the learning perception, the self-esteem (Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale) and the understanding of the content and acquisition of skills (ad-hoc questions) were also analysed.

RESULTS

The results were improved in all the measures conducted in the experimental groups at the different centres after the intervention. The mean post-test simulation scores were higher than the pre-test with statistically significant differences. The results were maintained in the follow-up. The student's perception of learning and the perception of understanding of the content and the acquisition of skills were improved as well.

CONCLUSION

The study support that training in empathic competence is effective.

Adaption and validation of the Working Alliance Inventory for General Practice: qualitative review and cross-sectional surveys

BACKGROUND

Relational aspects of primary care are important, but we have no standard measure for assessment. The 'working alliance' incorporates elements of the therapeutic relationship, shared decision-making, goal setting and communication skills. The Working Alliance Inventory (short form) (WAI-SF) has been used in adult psychology, and a high score on the survey is associated with improved outcomes for clients.

OBJECTIVE

To adapt the WAI-SF for use between GPs and patients and to test its concurrent validity with measures of shared decision-making and the doctor-patient relationship and discriminant validity with measures of social desirability.

METHODS

Two rounds of online survey feedback from 55 GPs and 47 patients were used to adapt the WAI-SF-the WAI-GP. The tool was then completed by 142 patients in waiting rooms after seeing their GP and by 16 GPs at the end of their session. Concurrent validity with measures of shared decision-making and patient-doctor depth of relationship was determined using Spearman Rho correlations. Patients also completed two social desirability surveys, and discriminant validity with WAI-GP was assessed.

RESULTS

Following feedback, the survey was re-worded to remove phrases that were perceived as judgmental or irrelevant. The patient measure of the WAI-GP was strongly correlated with Dyadic OPTION (rho = 0.705, P = 0.0001) and Patient-Doctor Depth of Relationship scale (rho = 0.591, P = 0.0001) and not with measures of social desirability.

CONCLUSION

The psychometric properties of the WAI-GP support its use for measuring GP-patient alliance. Possibilities for use include assessing the influence of therapeutic alliance on the effectiveness of interventions.

The Influence of Professionals' Empathy on Parents' Anxiety in Cases of Juvenile Criminology

In situations of juvenile delinquency, abuse, or neglect, determination of child custody relies on interviews with parents. This study aims to examine the effects of the interviewer's empathy on parents' anxiety, and to explore how parents experience these situations. A measure of anxiety was applied to 41 parents under evaluation for child custody before and after the assessment interview. Professionals' empathy was rated by both parents and professionals after each appointment. Parents participated in semistructured interviews. Data were analyzed through statistical and content analyses. The decrease in anxiety was significantly greater for parents who perceived professionals as "perfect" than for parents who perceived professionals as "less than perfect" in empathy. Parents' and professionals' empathy scores correlated positively, but the association between professionals' self-rated empathy and parents' anxiety was nonsignificant. Reactions to the justice system's intervention emerging in the semistructured interviews were "unjustifiable intrusion," "disconcerting information," and "reality confirmation." Each associated differently with parents' expectations for the assessment interview (respectively, that the process be over quickly, that it be over successfully, and that help start quickly). Our results support the important effects, from parents' perspectives, of empathy in assessment interviews in the context of juvenile criminology.

Investigation of empathy amongst dietetic interns at selected primary and tertiary health-care facilities

AIM

Empathy is an essential aspect in the delivery of quality nutrition care and promoting better outcomes in patients. With an increased emphasis of patient-centred care in dietetic practice, empathy should underpin the construct of the curriculum in dietetic education. The present study investigated the empathy level of dietetic interns through self-reporting measures and patients' perception.

METHODS

This cross-sectional study was conducted on a total of 57 dietetic interns and 99 patients from primary and tertiary health care settings. The dietetic interns completed the Toronto Empathy Questionnaire (TEQ) while the Consultation and Relational Empathy (CARE) measure was self-administered by patients. Socio-demographic information of participants was collected.

RESULTS

The dietetic interns' mean (standard deviation [SD]) TEQ scores were 46.90 ± 5.28 and 47.78 ± 5.34 in primary and tertiary care, respectively. CARE measure scores rated by patients in the primary care were 38.61 ± 8.38 and for tertiary setting, the scores were slightly higher (39.47 ± 7.65). The settings, gender, ethnicity and period of internship did not affect dietetic interns' empathy level. In primary care, CARE scores were significantly different between patients' age grouping (P = 0.007).

CONCLUSIONS

Findings from the present study showed that patients' age significantly affected their perception of dietetic interns' empathy in primary health care. These preliminary findings could facilitate an understanding of the level of empathy amongst interns for consideration in the future design of dietetic training.

Healthcare provider compassion is associated with lower PTSD symptoms among patients with life-threatening medical emergencies: a prospective cohort study

PURPOSE

We tested the hypothesis that, during a life-threatening medical emergency, patient perception of healthcare provider (HCP) compassion is associated with the subsequent development of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms.

METHODS

Prospective cohort study in the emergency department (ED) of an urban academic medical center. We included adult patients presenting with a life-threatening medical emergency, defined as respiratory or cardiovascular instability requiring a potentially life-sustaining intervention in the ED. We measured patient perception of HCP compassion in the ED using the Consultation and Relational Empathy (CARE) measure, a validated 40-point scale. Blinded to clinical outcomes (including the CARE measure), we assessed PTSD symptoms 1 month post-discharge using the PTSD Checklist for the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-5.

RESULTS

Of the 99/113 (88%) patients who completed follow-up, 25% (95% CI 17-35%) had PTSD symptoms at 1 month. In a multivariable model adjusting for potential confounders (e.g. severity of illness score in ED, need for intensive care unit admission, ED overcrowding, and family member emotional support in the ED), patient perception of greater HCP compassion in the ED was independently associated with lower PTSD symptoms at 1 month [odds ratio 0.93 (95% CI 0.89-0.98)]. A one-point increase in the CARE measure was associated with a 7% decrease in the odds of developing PTSD symptoms.

CONCLUSIONS

PTSD symptoms are common among ED patients with life-threatening medical emergencies. Patient perception of greater HCP compassion during the emergency is independently associated with lower risk of developing PTSD symptoms.

Pet Grief: Tools to Assess Owners' Bereavement and Veterinary Communication Skills

Simple Summary

In Italy, there are approximately 60.5 million companion animals, and 92% of Italian owners consider them as family members. Despite the growing interest in pet bereavement and in end-of-life (EOL) issues in veterinary medicine across the world, there are still very few Italian studies on the psychological impact of losing a pet, and there are no instruments in the Italian language to assess grief, following the death of a companion animal and the impact of effective veterinary communication skills on pet bereavement. The aim of this study is the Italian adaptation of instruments (Pet Bereavement Questionnaire (PBQ); Regret of Bereaved Family Members (RBFM); Shared Decision-Making Questionnaire (SDM-Q-9); Consultation and Relational Empathy Measure (CARE)), which can be useful in assessing bereavement in companion animal owners and communication skills in veterinary medicine. All the instruments obtained good internal reliability. The results showed that the use of the Italian versions of all the instruments is useful, and that the CARE, the SDM-Q-9, and the Regret of Bereaved Family Members (RBFM) developed for the human healthcare context, may also be used in veterinary medicine, and in further Italian pet bereavement and EOL veterinary studies.

Abstract

In Italy, there are still very few studies on the psychological impact of losing a pet. The need to fill this gap springs from the fact that pet loss counseling services are increasingly being activated. The aim of this study is the Italian adaptation of instruments for veterinary counseling services. The survey instruments adapted were: Pet Bereavement Questionnaire (PBQ) to describe the individual experience of pet-grief; Regret of Bereaved Family Members (RBFM) to assess the family regret; Shared Decision-Making Questionnaire (SDM-Q-9) for decision making in end of life; Consultation and Relational Empathy Measure (CARE) to assess the veterinarian relational empathy during clinical encounters. All the instruments obtained good internal reliability, and the results of the confirmative factor analysis of all the Italian versions were in accordance with the original ones. The correlational analysis among the variables evidenced the following aspects: the more the owner feels involved by the veterinarian in the decision making process the more the veterinarian is perceived by the owner as empathetic; when the veterinarian is perceived as empathic and the decision making is shared the owners’ pet bereavement distress and regrets are reduced; negative dimensions of bereavement (grief, guilt, anger, intrusive thoughts and decisional regrets) are strictly linked to each other, therefore if one dimension increases or decreases the others do too. The path analysis suggests that developing a veterinary relationship-centered care practice may be beneficial for pet owners facing end-of-life issues and the death of their companion animals since it showed that shared-decision making strategies and empathic communication may reduce negative dimensions of bereavement that may complicate grief. Interestingly, adopting shared decision-making strategies may contribute to be perceived as more empathic. These aspects may be taken into consideration in end-of -life communication training in veterinary medicine.

Empathy in vaccination counselling: a survey on the impact of a three-day residential course

BACKGROUND

In an era of hesitance to use vaccines, the importance of effective communication for increasing vaccine acceptance is well known. This study aimed to assess the impact of a three-day residential course concerning empathy and counselling abilities on patients' ratings of the level of empathy of physicians and nurses working in vaccination centers.

METHODS

The empathy of healthcare providers was evaluated using the Adapted Consultation and Relational Empathy (CARE) Measure. The survey involved 20 healthcare workers, doctors, and nurses in three immunization services of a Local Health Unit in South Italy. Before and after attending the course, all of them administered the questionnaire to 50 consecutive parents of vaccinated children. Statistical tests were used to assess the homogeneity of pre- and post -course samples, to measure the level of empathy perceived by parents in doctors and nurses in pre- and post-course evaluations, and to compare the average CARE Measure scores among groups.

RESULTS

Analysis of the questionnaires showed an increase of "excellent" scores and statistically significant differences between the pre- and post -course median values. Statistically significant differences between doctors and nurses were shown in almost all questions pre-course and in only four questions post-course.

CONCLUSIONS

This study demonstrated that a residential course is effective at improving patient-rated empathy of doctors and nurses working in vaccination centers and could result in an increase of parents' adherence to vaccination programs.

Naturopathic approaches to irritable bowel syndrome: protocol for a prospective observational study in academic teaching clinics

Background

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a common functional bowel disorder with a worldwide prevalence estimated between 10% and 20%. It has a significant impact on quality of life and societal expense. While there are pharmaceutical options available, few can be reliably recommended. Many IBS sufferers turn to complementary and alternative medicine including naturopathy. Naturopathic approaches to IBS are poorly studied to date.

Methods

We aim to describe naturopathic approaches to IBS as well as establish pilot data on before and after changes in validated IBS instruments. The study will employ a multi-centered, international, prospective, observational, naturalistic design. The uncontrolled before-and-after study will examine the outcomes associated with individualized, whole system naturopathic care as determined by each provider. We will recruit adult patients diagnosed with IBS and presenting to a participating naturopathic academic teaching clinic. Participants’ IBS symptoms will be measured using validated instruments (IBS-SSS and IBS-AR). Quality of life will be measured by using the PROMIS-29 profile. Adverse events will be tracked, as followed for treatment descriptions. Our primary outcomes will be before-and-after differences using week twelve as the primary endpoint. A p values will be set at 0.05, and descriptive and summary data will be presented.

Discussion

This study is designed to plug significant evidence gaps and to gather preliminary evidence to guide the design of a follow-up randomized active controlled trial.

Australia and New Zealand Clinical Trial Registration Number: ACTRN12617001413314

Version 1.1

How many patients are required to provide a high level of reliability in the Japanese version of the CARE Measure? A secondary analysis

Background

Empathy is widely regarded as being key to effective consultation in general practice. The Consultation and Relational Empathy (CARE) Measure is a widely used and well-validated patient-rated measure in English. A Japanese version of the CARE Measure has undergone preliminary validation, but its ability to differentiate between individual doctors has not been established. The current study sought to investigate the reliability of the Japanese version of the CARE Measure in terms of discrimination between doctors.

Methods

We conducted secondary analysis of a dataset involving 252 patients assessed by nine attending General Practitioners. The intra-cluster correlation coefficient was evaluated as an index of the reliability of the Japanese version of the CARE Measure for discriminating between doctors. With a criterion of intra-cluster correlation coefficient = 0.8, we conducted a decision (D) study using generalizability theory to determine the required number of patients for reliable CARE Measure estimates.

Results

The ability of the CARE Measure to discriminate between doctors increased with the number of patients assessed per doctor. A sample size of 38 or more patients provided an average intra-cluster correlation coefficient of 0.8.

Conclusions

The Japanese CARE Measure appears to reliably discriminate between doctors with a feasible number of patient-ratings per doctor. Further studies involving larger numbers of doctors with a multicenter analysis are required to confirm the results of the current study, which was conducted at a single institution.

Burnout syndrome and its prevalence in primary care nursing: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

burnout syndrome is a significant problem in nursing professionals. Although, the unit where nurses work may influence burnout development. Nurses that work in primary care units may be at higher risk of burnout. The aim of the study was to estimate the prevalence of emotional exhaustion, depersonalization and low personal accomplishment in primary care nurses.

METHODS

We performed a meta-analysis. We searched Pubmed, CINAHL, Scopus, Scielo, Proquest, CUIDEN and LILACS databases up to September 2017 to identify cross-sectional studies assessing primary care nurses' burnout with the Maslach Burnout Inventory were included. The search was done in September 2017.

RESULTS

After the search process, n = 8 studies were included in the meta-analysis, representing a total sample of n = 1110 primary care nurses. High emotional exhaustion prevalence was 28% (95% Confidence Interval = 22-34%), high depersonalization was 15% (95% Confidence Interval = 9-23%) and 31% (95% Confidence Interval = 6-66%) for low personal accomplishment.

CONCLUSIONS

Problems such as emotional exhaustion and low personal accomplishment are very common among primary care nurses, while depersonalization is less prevalent. Primary care nurses are a burnout risk group.

Measuring empathy in pediatrics: validation of the Visual CARE measure

Background

Empathy is a key element of “Patient and Family Centered Care”, a clinical approach recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics. However, there is a lack of validated tools to evaluate paediatrician empathy. This study aimed to validate the Visual CARE Measure, a patient rated questionnaire measuring physician empathy, in the setting of a Pediatric Emergency Department (ED).

Methods

The empathy of physicians working in the Pediatric ED of the University Hospital of Udine, Italy, was assessed using an Italian translation of the Visual Care Measure. This test has three versions suited to different age groups: the 5Q questionnaire was administered to children aged 7–11, the 10Q version to those older than 11, and the 10Q–Parent questionnaire to parents of children younger than 7.

The internal reliability, homogeneity and construct validity of the 5Q and 10Q/10Q–Parent versions of the Visual Care Measure, were separately assessed. The influence of family background on the rating of physician empathy and satisfaction with the clinical encounter was also evaluated.

Results

Seven physicians and 416 children and their parents were included in the study. Internal consistency measured by Cronbach’s alpha was 0.95 for the 10Q/10Q–Parent versions and 0.88 for the 5Q version. The item-total correlation was > 0.75 for each item. An exploratory factor analysis showed that all the items load onto the first factor.

Physicians’ empathy scores correlated with patients’ satisfaction for both the 10Q and 10Q–Parent questionnaires (Spearman’s rho = 0.7189; p < 0.001) and for the 5Q questionnaire (Spearman’s rho = 0.5968; p < 0,001). Trust in the consulting physician was lower among immigrant parents (OR 0.43. 95% CI 0.20–0.93).

Conclusions

The Visual Care Measure is a reliable second-person test of physician empathy in the setting of a Pediatric Emergency Room. More studies are needed to evaluate the reliability of this instrument in other pediatric settings distinct from the Emergency Room and to further evaluate its utility in measuring the impact of communication and empathy training programmes for healthcare professionals working in pediatrics.

Patients' views on interactions with practitioners for type 2 diabetes: a longitudinal qualitative study in primary care over 10 years

BACKGROUND

It has been suggested that interactions between patients and practitioners in primary care have the potential to delay progression of complications in type 2 diabetes. However, as primary care faces greater pressures, patient experiences of patient-practitioner interactions might be changing.

AIM

To explore the views of patients with type 2 diabetes on factors that are of significance to them in patient-practitioner interactions in primary care after diagnosis, and over the last 10 years of living with the disease.

DESIGN AND SETTING

A longitudinal qualitative analysis over 10 years in UK primary care.

METHOD

The study was part of a qualitative and quantitative examination of patient experience within the existing ADDITION-Cambridge and ADDITION-Plus trials from 2002 to 2016. The researchers conducted a qualitative descriptive analysis of free-text comments to an open-ended question within the CARE measure questionnaire at 1 and 10 years after diagnosis with diabetes. Data were analysed cross-sectionally at each time point, and at an individual level moving both backwards and forwards between time points to describe emergent topics.

RESULTS

At the 1-year follow-up, 311 out of 1106 (28%) participants had commented; 101 out of 380 (27%) participants commented at 10-year follow-up; and 46 participants commented at both times. Comments on preferences for face-to-face contact, more time with practitioners, and relational continuity of care were more common over time.

CONCLUSION

This study highlights issues related to the wider context of interactions between patients and practitioners in the healthcare system over the last 10 years since diagnosis. Paradoxically, these same aspects of care that are valued over time from diagnosis are also increasingly unprotected in UK primary care.

Assessing the Consultation and Relational Empathy (CARE) Measure in sexual health nurses' consultations

Background

Increasingly healthcare policies emphasise the importance of person-centred, empathic care. Consequently, healthcare professionals are expected to demonstrate the ‘human’ aspects of care in training and in practice. The Consultation and Relational Empathy (CARE) Measure is a patient-rated measure of the interpersonal skills of healthcare practitioners. It has been widely validated for use by healthcare professionals in both primary and secondary care. This paper reports on the validity and reliability of the CARE Measure with sexual health nurses.

Methods

Patient questionnaires were collected for 943 consultations with 20 sexual health nurses. Participating patients self-completed the questionnaire immediately after the encounter with the nurse. The questionnaire included the ten item CARE Measure, the Patient Enablement Index, and overall satisfaction instruments. Construct validity was assessed through Spearman’s correlation and principal component analysis. Internal consistence was assessed through Cronbach’s alpha and the inter-rater reliability through Generalisability Theory. Data were collected in 2013 in Scotland.

Results

Female patients completed 68% of the questionnaires. The mean patient age was 28.8 years (standard deviation 9.8 years). Two of the 20 participating nurses withdrew from the study. Most patients (71.7%) regarded the CARE Measure items as very important to their consultation and the number of ‘not applicable’ and missing responses’ were low (2.6% and 0.1% respectively). The participating nurses had high CARE Measure scores; out of a maximum possible score of 50, the overall mean CARE measure score was 47.8 (standard deviation 4.4). The scores were moderately correlated with patient enablement (rho = 0.232, p = 0.001) and overall satisfaction (rho = 0.377, p = 0.001. Cronbach’s alpha showed the measure’s high internal consistency (Cronbach’s alpha coefficient = 0.95), but the inter-rater reliability could not be calculated due to the high achieved CARE Measure scores that varied little between nurses.

Conclusions

Within this clinical context the CARE Measure has high perceived relevance and face validity. The findings support construct validity and some evidence of reliability. The high CARE Measure scores may have been due to sample bias. A future study which ensures a representative sample of patients on a larger group of nurses is required to determine whether the measure can discriminate between nurses.

Emotional intelligence and coping strategies as determinants of quality of life in depressed patient-caregiver dyads: An actor-partner interdependence analysis

OBJECTIVE

Patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) and their natural caregivers experience major lifestyle difficulties. Little is known concerning dyadic (i.e., patient and natural caregiver) characteristics' impact on quality of life. In a sample of depressed patient-caregiver dyads, we examined quality of life (QoL) levels compared with the general population and whether QoL is influenced by emotional intelligence (EI) and coping strategies using the actor-partner interdependence model (APIM).

METHODS

This cross-sectional study involved 79 patient-caregiver dyads. The self-reported data, completed by patients and their primary caregivers, included QoL (SF-36), EI (TEIQue-SF) and coping strategies (BriefCope). The QoL of patients and caregivers was compared with 158 French age-sex-matched healthy controls. The dyadic interactions were analyzed using structural equation modeling.

RESULTS

Patients and their caregivers experienced lower QoL levels than French age-sex-matched controls. The EI findings showed actor (degree to which the person's EI was associated with his/her own QoL) and partner (degree to which the person's EI was associated with QoL of the other member of the dyad) effects for patients and caregivers. The coping strategies (i.e., problem solving, positive thinking, avoidance and social support) revealed only actor effects.

CONCLUSION

QoL is seriously impaired in depressed patients and their primary caregivers and is associated with EI and coping strategies. Targeted interventions focusing on EI and coping strategies could be offered to improve QoL in dyads.

Patient perceptions of clinical care in complementary medicine: A systematic review of the consultation experience

OBJECTIVE

This review aims to describe the prevalence of empathy, empowerment and patient-centred clinical care experienced by patients in complementary medicine (CM) consultations.

METHODS

A systematic review was undertaken of original research exploring patient perceptions of CM clinical care. Ten databases were searched: Alt HealthWatch, AMED, CINAHL Plus, MEDLINE Complete, Cochrane Library, PubMed, Proquest Medical Collection, PsycInfo, Social Sciences Citation Index and Psychology Collection. Studies were included which reported patient perceptions of consultation with CM practitioners and were excluded where experimental methods controlled the nature of consultation processes.

RESULTS

Findings of included studies (n=34) were categorised under the a priori themes of empathy, empowerment and patient-centred care. This produced a substantial pool of qualitative data detailing patient-reported experiences which consistently confirmed occurrence of these themes in CM consultation. Quantitative data was correlative, yet was insufficient to definitively describe prevalence of such experiences.

CONCLUSION

While it is evident that CM consultations provide a patient experience of empathy, empowerment and patient-centredness, further research is warranted to quantify this experience before it can be defined as characteristic of CM clinical care.

PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS

This review draws attention to the potential role of CM as a resource for patients' psychosocial health needs.

Patient advocacy from the clinical nurses' viewpoint: a qualitative study

One of the advanced nursing care procedures emphasized by nursing organizations around the world is patient or nursing advocacy. In addition to illustrating the professional power of nursing, it helps to provide effective nursing care. The aim of the present study was to explain the concept of patient advocacy from the perspective of Iranian clinical nurses. This was a qualitative study that examined the viewpoint and experiences of 15 clinical nurses regarding patient advocacy in nursing. The nurses worked in intensive care units (ICUs), coronary care units (CCUs), and emergency units. The study participants were selected via purposeful sampling. The data was collected through semi-structured interviews and analyzed using content analysis. Data analysis showed that patient advocacy consisted of the two themes of empathy with the patient (including understanding, being sympathetic with, and feeling close to the patient) and protecting the patients (including patient care, prioritization of patients' health, commitment to the completion of the care process, and protection of patients' rights). The results of this study suggest that nurses must be empathetic toward and protective of their patients. The results of the present study can be used in health care delivery, nursing education, and nursing management and planning systems to help nurses accomplish their important role as patient advocates. It is necessary to further study the connections between patient advocacy and empathy.

Impact of Perceived Weight Stigma among Underserved Women on Doctor-Patient Relationships

Objective

The aim of this study was to evaluate how perception of weight stigma among underserved women with obesity impacts doctor–patient relationships.

Methods

This study consisted of an interviewer‐administered survey of 149 women with obesity (body mass index (BMI) > 30 kg m⁻²) immediately after their physician visit at four Federally Qualified Health Centers. Perceptions of weight stigma and physician empathy were measured using the Stigma Situations in Health Care instrument and Consultation and Relational Empathy (CARE) measure, respectively. Associations of CARE and Stigma scores with BMI and patient characteristics were analysed using Mantel–Haenszel chi‐squared test and ordinal logistic regression.

Results

The mean CARE score was 42.1 (standard deviation 8.4; range 11.0–50.0), and mean stigma score was 4.6 (standard deviation 7.6; range 0–43.0). Each increase in BMI category was associated with almost twofold increased odds of higher perception of stigma (odds ratio, 1.90, 95% confidence interval 1.30–2.78, P = 0.001). BMI was not associated with CARE. However, for each increase in stigma category, the odds of lower CARE score doubled (odds ratio, 0.52, 95% confidence interval 0.36–0.75, P = 0.0005).

Conclusions

While BMI was not associated with perception of physician empathy, higher frequency of weight stigmatizing situations was negatively associated with perception of physician empathy. Reducing weight stigma in primary care could improve doctor–patient relationships and quality of care in patients with obesity.