Patient perceptions of empathy in primary care telephone consultations: a mixed methods study

Jane Vennik; Stephanie Hughes; Emily Lyness; Clare McDermott; Kirsten A. Smith; Mary Steele; Jennifer Bostock; Jeremy Howick; Paul Little; Geraldine Leydon; Christian Mallen; Leanne Morrison; Beth Stuart; Hazel Everitt; Felicity L. Bishop

doi:10.1016/j.pec.2023.107748

Patient perceptions of empathy in primary care telephone consultations: a mixed methods study

Jane Vennik, Stephanie Hughes, Emily Lyness, Clare McDermott, Kirsten A. Smith, Mary Steele, Jennifer Bostock, Jeremy Howick, Paul Little, Geraldine Leydon, Christian Mallen, Leanne Morrison, Beth Stuart, Hazel Everitt, Felicity L. Bishop^*

^*Corresponding author for this work

School of Computing

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

40 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

Objective: Clinical empathy can enhance patient outcomes. This study examined patients’ perceptions of empathy in primary care consultations delivered by telephone.

Methods: A mixed methods study was nested in a larger feasibility study conducted May-October 2020. Adults reporting a UK primary care consultation in the previous 2 weeks completed an online survey. A sample of survey respondents participated in a semi-structured qualitative interview. Interviews were analysed thematically.

Results: Survey respondents (n = 359) rated practitioners as between ‘good’ and ‘very good’ at established patient-reported indicators of clinical empathy. Telephone consultations were rated slightly lower than face-to-face or other consultations. 30 survey respondents were interviewed. Three qualitative themes identified how telephone consultations can shape clinical empathy: setting for an empathic encounter; feeling connected; being acknowledged.

Conclusion: Primary care patients typically perceive good levels of clinical empathy in telephone consultations; specific features of telephone consultations may facilitate and/or hinder clinical empathy.

Practice implications: To ensure patients feel listened to, acknowledged and understood, practitioners may need to increase their empathic verbalisations in telephone consultations. By using verbal responses to demonstrate active listening and by clearly describing and/or implementing next steps in management, practitioners may be able to enhance clinical empathy in telephone consultations.

Original language	English
Article number	107748
Number of pages	7
Journal	Patient Education and Counseling
Volume	113
Early online date	2 May 2023
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pec.2023.107748
Publication status	Published - 1 Aug 2023

Keywords

Clinical empathy
Communication
General practice
Mixed methods
Primary healthcare
Qualitative

Access to Document

10.1016/j.pec.2023.107748

Patient perceptions of empathy in primary care telephone consultationsFinal published version, 993 KBLicence: CC BY

Cite this

Vennik, J., Hughes, S., Lyness, E., McDermott, C., Smith, K. A., Steele, M., Bostock, J., Howick, J., Little, P., Leydon, G., Mallen, C., Morrison, L., Stuart, B., Everitt, H., & Bishop, F. L. (2023). Patient perceptions of empathy in primary care telephone consultations: a mixed methods study. Patient Education and Counseling, 113, Article 107748. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pec.2023.107748

@article{27ce48d761404d2fa1619a06fc067097,

title = "Patient perceptions of empathy in primary care telephone consultations: a mixed methods study",

abstract = "Objective: Clinical empathy can enhance patient outcomes. This study examined patients{\textquoteright} perceptions of empathy in primary care consultations delivered by telephone. Methods: A mixed methods study was nested in a larger feasibility study conducted May-October 2020. Adults reporting a UK primary care consultation in the previous 2 weeks completed an online survey. A sample of survey respondents participated in a semi-structured qualitative interview. Interviews were analysed thematically. Results: Survey respondents (n = 359) rated practitioners as between {\textquoteleft}good{\textquoteright} and {\textquoteleft}very good{\textquoteright} at established patient-reported indicators of clinical empathy. Telephone consultations were rated slightly lower than face-to-face or other consultations. 30 survey respondents were interviewed. Three qualitative themes identified how telephone consultations can shape clinical empathy: setting for an empathic encounter; feeling connected; being acknowledged. Conclusion: Primary care patients typically perceive good levels of clinical empathy in telephone consultations; specific features of telephone consultations may facilitate and/or hinder clinical empathy. Practice implications: To ensure patients feel listened to, acknowledged and understood, practitioners may need to increase their empathic verbalisations in telephone consultations. By using verbal responses to demonstrate active listening and by clearly describing and/or implementing next steps in management, practitioners may be able to enhance clinical empathy in telephone consultations.",

keywords = "Clinical empathy, Communication, General practice, Mixed methods, Primary healthcare, Qualitative",

author = "Jane Vennik and Stephanie Hughes and Emily Lyness and Clare McDermott and Smith, {Kirsten A.} and Mary Steele and Jennifer Bostock and Jeremy Howick and Paul Little and Geraldine Leydon and Christian Mallen and Leanne Morrison and Beth Stuart and Hazel Everitt and Bishop, {Felicity L.}",

note = "Funding Information: The EMPATHICA project is supported by a National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) School for Primary Care Research grant (project number 389 ). The Primary Care Department is a member of the NIHR School for Primary Care Research and supported by NIHR Research funds . CDM is funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Collaborations for Leadership in Applied Health Research and Care West Midlands , the NIHR School for Primary Care Research and an NIHR Research Professorship in General Practice ( NIHR-RP-2014-04-026 ). Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2023 The Authors",

year = "2023",

month = aug,

day = "1",

doi = "10.1016/j.pec.2023.107748",

language = "English",

volume = "113",

journal = "Patient Education and Counseling",

issn = "0738-3991",

publisher = "Elsevier Ireland Ltd",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Patient perceptions of empathy in primary care telephone consultations

T2 - a mixed methods study

AU - Vennik, Jane

AU - Hughes, Stephanie

AU - Lyness, Emily

AU - McDermott, Clare

AU - Smith, Kirsten A.

AU - Steele, Mary

AU - Bostock, Jennifer

AU - Howick, Jeremy

AU - Little, Paul

AU - Leydon, Geraldine

AU - Mallen, Christian

AU - Morrison, Leanne

AU - Stuart, Beth

AU - Everitt, Hazel

AU - Bishop, Felicity L.

N1 - Funding Information: The EMPATHICA project is supported by a National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) School for Primary Care Research grant (project number 389 ). The Primary Care Department is a member of the NIHR School for Primary Care Research and supported by NIHR Research funds . CDM is funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Collaborations for Leadership in Applied Health Research and Care West Midlands , the NIHR School for Primary Care Research and an NIHR Research Professorship in General Practice ( NIHR-RP-2014-04-026 ). Publisher Copyright: © 2023 The Authors

PY - 2023/8/1

Y1 - 2023/8/1

N2 - Objective: Clinical empathy can enhance patient outcomes. This study examined patients’ perceptions of empathy in primary care consultations delivered by telephone. Methods: A mixed methods study was nested in a larger feasibility study conducted May-October 2020. Adults reporting a UK primary care consultation in the previous 2 weeks completed an online survey. A sample of survey respondents participated in a semi-structured qualitative interview. Interviews were analysed thematically. Results: Survey respondents (n = 359) rated practitioners as between ‘good’ and ‘very good’ at established patient-reported indicators of clinical empathy. Telephone consultations were rated slightly lower than face-to-face or other consultations. 30 survey respondents were interviewed. Three qualitative themes identified how telephone consultations can shape clinical empathy: setting for an empathic encounter; feeling connected; being acknowledged. Conclusion: Primary care patients typically perceive good levels of clinical empathy in telephone consultations; specific features of telephone consultations may facilitate and/or hinder clinical empathy. Practice implications: To ensure patients feel listened to, acknowledged and understood, practitioners may need to increase their empathic verbalisations in telephone consultations. By using verbal responses to demonstrate active listening and by clearly describing and/or implementing next steps in management, practitioners may be able to enhance clinical empathy in telephone consultations.

AB - Objective: Clinical empathy can enhance patient outcomes. This study examined patients’ perceptions of empathy in primary care consultations delivered by telephone. Methods: A mixed methods study was nested in a larger feasibility study conducted May-October 2020. Adults reporting a UK primary care consultation in the previous 2 weeks completed an online survey. A sample of survey respondents participated in a semi-structured qualitative interview. Interviews were analysed thematically. Results: Survey respondents (n = 359) rated practitioners as between ‘good’ and ‘very good’ at established patient-reported indicators of clinical empathy. Telephone consultations were rated slightly lower than face-to-face or other consultations. 30 survey respondents were interviewed. Three qualitative themes identified how telephone consultations can shape clinical empathy: setting for an empathic encounter; feeling connected; being acknowledged. Conclusion: Primary care patients typically perceive good levels of clinical empathy in telephone consultations; specific features of telephone consultations may facilitate and/or hinder clinical empathy. Practice implications: To ensure patients feel listened to, acknowledged and understood, practitioners may need to increase their empathic verbalisations in telephone consultations. By using verbal responses to demonstrate active listening and by clearly describing and/or implementing next steps in management, practitioners may be able to enhance clinical empathy in telephone consultations.

KW - Clinical empathy

KW - Communication

KW - General practice

KW - Mixed methods

KW - Primary healthcare

KW - Qualitative

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85154018900&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1016/j.pec.2023.107748

DO - 10.1016/j.pec.2023.107748

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:85154018900

SN - 0738-3991

VL - 113

JO - Patient Education and Counseling

JF - Patient Education and Counseling

M1 - 107748

ER -