scholarly journals The Science of Empathy

2017 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 74-77 ◽  
Author(s):  
Helen Riess

Empathy plays a critical interpersonal and societal role, enabling sharing of experiences, needs, and desires between individuals and providing an emotional bridge that promotes pro-social behavior. This capacity requires an exquisite interplay of neural networks and enables us to perceive the emotions of others, resonate with them emotionally and cognitively, to take in the perspective of others, and to distinguish between our own and others’ emotions. Studies show empathy declines during medical training. Without targeted interventions, uncompassionate care and treatment devoid of empathy, results in patients who are dissatisfied. They are then much less likely to follow through with treatment recommendations, resulting in poorer health outcomes and damaged trust in health providers. Cognitive empathy must play a role when a lack of emotional empathy exists because of racial, ethnic, religious, or physical differences. Healthcare settings are no exception to conscious and unconscious biases, and there is no place for discrimination or unequal care afforded to patients who differ from the majority culture or the majority culture of healthcare providers. Much work lies ahead to make healthcare equitable for givers and receivers of healthcare from all cultures. Self- and other-empathy leads to replenishment and renewal of a vital human capacity. If we are to move in the direction of a more empathic society and a more compassionate world, it is clear that working to enhance our native capacities to empathize is critical to strengthening individual, community, national, and international bonds.

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jing Ma ◽  
Xi Chen ◽  
Qiongjuan Zheng ◽  
Yun Zhang ◽  
Zhi Ming ◽  
...  

Introduction: Workplace violence (WPV) against healthcare providers has severe consequences and is underreported worldwide. The aim of this study was to present the features, causes, and outcomes of serious WPV against healthcare providers in China.Method: We searched for serious WPV events reported online and analyzed information about time, location, people, methods, motivations, and outcomes related to the incident.Result: Serious WPV reported online in China (n = 379) were mainly physical (97%) and often involved the use of weapons (34.5%). Doctors were victims in most instances (81.1%). Serious WPV mostly happened in cities (90.2%), teaching hospitals (87.4%), and tertiary hospitals (67.9%) and frequently in Emergency Department (ED), Obstetrics and Gynecology Department (OB-GYN), and pediatric departments; it was most prevalent in the months of June, May, and February. Rates of serious WPV increased dramatically in 2014 and decreased after 2015, with death (12.8%), severe injury (6%), and hospitalization (24.2%) being the major outcomes. A law protecting healthcare providers implemented in 2015 may have helped curb the violence.Conclusion: Serious WPV in China may stem from poor patient–doctor relationships, overly stressed health providers in highly demanding hospitals, poorly educated/informed patients, insufficient legal protection, and poor communication. Furthering knowledge about WPV and working toward curtailing its presence in healthcare settings are crucial to increasing the safety and well-being of healthcare workers.


2021 ◽  
Vol 24 (4) ◽  
pp. 638-657
Author(s):  
James N. Druckman ◽  
Katherine Ognyanova ◽  
Matthew A. Baum ◽  
David Lazer ◽  
Roy H. Perlis ◽  
...  

Concerns about misperceptions among the public are rampant. Yet, little work explores the correlates of misperceptions in varying contexts – that is, how do factors such as group affiliations, media exposure, and lived experiences correlate with the number of misperceptions people hold? We address these questions by investigating misperceptions about COVID-19, focusing on the role of racial/ethnic, religious, and partisan groups. Using a large survey, we find the number of correct beliefs held by individuals far dwarfs the number of misperceptions. When it comes to misperceptions, we find that minorities, those with high levels of religiosity, and those with strong partisan identities – across parties – hold a substantially greater number of misperceptions than those with contrasting group affiliations. Moreover, we show other variables (e.g., social media usage, number of COVID-19 cases in one’s county) do not have such strong relationships with misperceptions, and the group-level results do not reflect acquiescence to believing any information regardless of its truth value. Our results accentuate the importance of studying group-level misperceptions on other scientific and political issues and developing targeted interventions for these groups.


2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 15-15
Author(s):  
Jasneet Parmar ◽  
Sharon Anderson ◽  
Lisa Poole ◽  
Wendy Duggleby ◽  
Jayna Holyroyd-Leduc ◽  
...  

Abstract Family caregivers [FCGs] are the backbone of the health system. They provide over 80% of the care for people with dementia, chronic illnesses and impairments. Despite evidence of their contributions and consequences of caregiving, support for FCGs has not been a health system priority. Education to prepare health providers to effectively identify, engage, assess, and support FCGs throughout the care trajectory is an innovative approach in addressing inconsistent system of supports for FCGs. We report on development and validation of the Caregiver-Centered Care Competency Framework to help with curricular design and subsequent evaluation of effectiveness of care providers working within healthcare settings to engage and support FCGs. We used a three round modified Delphi approach. An expert panel of 42 international, national, and provincial stakeholders agreed to participate. In the first 2 rounds, multi-level, interdisciplinary participants, rated the indicators in terms of importance and relevance. In the 3rd round consensus meeting, participants validated the six competency domains, including indicators in small group sessions. Thirty-four experts (81%) participated in the round 1, 36 (85.7%) in round 2, and 42 people (100%) in round 3. There was stable consensus across all three rounds, 96.07% of participants rated the indicators as essential or important (Round 1, 95.81%; Round 2, 94.15; Round 3, 98.23%). FCG research has been primarily focussed on educating FCGs to provide care. These competencies will shape the design of educational curricula and interdisciplinary training programs aimed at supporting the health and social care workforce to provide caregiver-centered care.


Author(s):  
Mohammed Bindakhil ◽  
Scarlet Charmelo-Silva ◽  
Alhanouf A. Bin Dakhil ◽  
Ibrahim A. ALOmair

<b><i>Background:</i></b> Oral medicine is a subdiscipline of dentistry that concerns itself with the oral health of patients; it focuses on providing diagnosis and management of oral and maxillofacial diseases, as well as direct dental care for those in medically complex situations. As primary healthcare providers, physicians and dentists are often the first to evaluate patients with orofacial symptoms and make diagnoses related to oral health, whether explicit or manifested through systemic diseases. However, a lack of familiarity with oral medicine among healthcare providers often leads to significant delays in the accurate diagnosis and appropriate treatment of many oral and maxillofacial disorders. It has been well established that a lack of training and education in oral health among physicians is an impediment to alleviating the situation. <b><i>Summary:</i></b> Several studies and scientific reports in the medical community have shown a greater professional interest in oral health and medicine, with numerous recent articles reflecting a clear rise in multiple factors: an increased interest in additional training and a rise in oral diseases. This review focuses on the need for a multidisciplinary approach in modern healthcare systems that implements the oral medicine specialty. It also serves to emphasize the role of oral medicine in medical training and education, while simultaneously discussing the prevalence of oral diseases and awareness of oral health among physicians in Saudi Arabia. <b><i>Key Messages:</i></b> The prevalence of oral health conditions in Saudi Arabia appears to be high yet is accompanied by a scarcity of oral medicine specialists in this part of the world. Furthermore, numerous studies have revealed that physicians from different specialties in Saudi Arabia lack training in oral health and possess an insufficient awareness of the oral medicine specialty. This paucity of oral medicine specialists in Saudi Arabia presents a key issue as the clinical services and medical education provided by such specialists in healthcare systems can have a profound positive impact on each patient’s quality of life and health outcomes, as well as the standards of physicians’ training.


Author(s):  
Elham Monaghesh ◽  
Alireza Hajizadeh

Abstract Purpose The outbreak of coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) is a public health emergency of international concern. Telehealth is effective option to fight COVID-19 outbreak. The aim of this systematic review was to identify the role of telehealth services during COVID-19 outbreak.Methods This systematic review was conducted through searching five databases including PubMed, Scopus, Embase, Web of Science and Science direct. Inclusion criteria included studies clearly defined role of telehealth services in COVID-19 outbreak, published from December 31, 2019, written in English language and published in peer reviewed. Two reviewers independently assessed search results, extracted data, and assessed quality of included studies. Quality assessment was based on the Critical Appraisal Skills Program (CASP) checklist. Narrative synthesis was undertaken to summarize and report the findings.Results Eight studies met the inclusion out of the 142 search results. Currently, healthcare providers and patients who are self-isolating, telehealth is certainly appropriate to minimizing the risk of COVID-19 transmission. This solution has the potential to avoidance of direct physical contact, provide continuous care to the community and finally reduce morbidity and mortality in COVID-19 outbreak.Conclusions The use of telehealth improves the provision of health services. Therefore, telehealth should be an important tool in caring services while keeping patients and health providers safe as the COVID-19 outbreak.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gillian Parker ◽  
Monika Kastner ◽  
Karen Born ◽  
Nida Shahid ◽  
Whitney Berta

Abstract Background:Choosing Wisely (CW) is an international movement comprised of national campaigns in more than 20 countries to reduce low-value care (LVC). Hospitals and healthcare providers are examining existing practices and putting interventions in place to reduce practices that offer little to no benefit to patients or may cause them harm. De-implementation, the reduction or removal of a healthcare practice is an emerging field of research. Little is known about the factors which (i) sustain LVC; and (ii) the magnitude of the problem of LVC. In addition, little is known about the processes of de-implementation, and if and how these processes differ from implementation endeavours. The objective of this study was to explicate the myriad factors which impact the processes and outcomes of de-implementation initiatives that are designed to address national Choosing Wisely campaign recommendations.Methods:Semi-structured interviews were conducted with individuals implementing Choosing Wisely Canada recommendations in healthcare settings in four provinces. The interview guide was developed using concepts from the literature and the Implementation Process Model (IPM) as a framework. All interviews were conducted virtually, recorded, and transcribed verbatim. Data were analysed using thematic analysis.Results:Seventeen Choosing Wisely team members were interviewed. Participants identified numerous provider factors, most notably habit, which sustain LVC. Contrary to reporting in recent studies, the majority of LVC in the sample was not ‘patient facing’; therefore, patients were not a significant driver for the LVC, nor a barrier to reducing it. Participants detailed aspects of the magnitude of the problems of LVC, specifically the impact of harm and resources. Unique factors influencing the processes of de-implementation reported were: influence of Choosing Wisely campaigns, availability of data, lack of targets and hard-coded interventions.Conclusions: This study explicates factors ranging from those which impact the maintenance of LVC to factors that impact the success of de-implementation interventions intended to reduce them. The findings draw attention to the significance of unintentional factors, highlight the importance of understanding the impact of harm and resources to reduce LVC and illuminate the overstated impact of patients in de-implementation literature. These findings illustrate the complexities of de-implementation.


2021 ◽  
Vol 23 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Hilda A. Mwangakala

Background: The access to quality maternal health information amongst pregnant women plays an important role in determining woman’s health behaviour during pregnancy. Yet, access to maternal health information remains a major challenge in Tanzanian rural communities especially for pregnant women leading to low utilisation of skilled maternal health services.Objectives: The study aimed at examining the accessibility of maternal health information amongst pregnant women in rural Tanzania.Methods: A qualitative phenomenological study involving 25 pregnant women, 5 skilled healthcare providers (SHPs) and 5 traditional birth attendants (TBAs) was carried out in Chamwino District, Dodoma Region, Tanzania for a period of 6 months. Data were analysed thematically using the six-stage guide to thematic data analysis with NVivo Software.Results: The acute shortage of healthcare personnel and traditional beliefs influenced pregnant women’s access to quality maternal health information. The majority of women used mothers-in-law and TBAs as their primary source of maternal health information rather than skilled healthcare providers.Conclusion: Despite the acute shortage, healthcare providers need to play a leading role in providing maternal health information amongst the rural populations. Furthermore, skilled health providers need to work in collaboration with the TBAs to increase access to maternal health information and build a well-informed healthy society.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maureen Marie Canario de la Torre ◽  
Ivony Yireth Agudelo Salas ◽  
Sandra Miranda de León ◽  
Yadira Rolón Colón ◽  
María Pabón Martínez ◽  
...  

Abstract The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO) have established guidelines for HIV testing in healthcare settings. The aim of this study was to identify the sociodemographic, healthcare, and sexual-behavior predictors of provider-initiated HIV testing (PIHT) using data from the Puerto Rico National HIV Behavioral Surveillance (PR-NHBS) 2016 cycle directed towards heterosexuals at increased risk of HIV infection (HET). A total sample of 531 eligible participants were recruited through respondent-driven sampling (RDS). Logistic regression models assessed the associations between sociodemographic, healthcare, and sexual-behavior predictors, whilst adjusting for sex and age. The majority of the participants were women (66.1%), with 72.7% reporting having received healthcare services in the past year. Of them, 18.7% had received an HIV-test offer from their healthcare providers. More than half of the participants (65.2%) reported a low perceived risk of getting infected with HIV in the next 12 months. Results suggest an overall low prevalence of PIHT among HET in PR who exhibited a relatively high prevalence of low perceived risk of HIV infection. Furthermore, the assessed predictors show that individuals who engaged in high-risk sexual behaviors (AOR = 0.52; 95% CI: 0.30–0.90) were less likely to receive HIV-test offers from their providers. This study further emphasizes the need for healthcare providers to follow recommended guidelines for HIV testing in healthcare settings as a means of establishing preventive measures to further counteract the HIV epidemic in Puerto Rico, specifically among HET.


Author(s):  
Aysha M. Shanshal ◽  
Ahmed H. Ataimish

Abstract The present study aims to assess the knowledge, attitude, and experience of off-label prescribing practice among physicians in Baghdad city hospitals. This cross-sectional study was performed through the period from November 1st 2018 to March 2019 at 17 hospitals, a self-administered questionnaire was utilized to collect data from the physicians, and the targeted hospitals were randomly selected at different regions in Baghdad City area. Out of the 400 distributed questionnaires to the physicians, 383 of them were returned completed, 57.2% indicated that they were reasonably familiar with the term “off label drug”, 57.7% mentioned that the most common medical reasons for the prescribing off-label drugs were unavailability of alternatives, 67.6%, 65.5% had concerns regarding its safety and efficacy respectively, 62.7% agreed that the (MOH) authority should provide an incentive to stimulate pharmaceutical companies to perform clinical trials in Iraqi patients, 49.1% believed that clinical trials that recruit volunteers involve ethical issues. Extensive efforts are required to implant programs, regulations and guidelines to control the off-label prescribing practice among the Iraqi healthcare providers who are authorized to prescribe medications at different healthcare settings.    


2018 ◽  
Vol 133 (6) ◽  
pp. 667-676 ◽  
Author(s):  
Noah S. Webb ◽  
Benjamin Dowd-Arrow ◽  
Miles G. Taylor ◽  
Amy M. Burdette

Objective: Although research suggests racial/ethnic disparities in influenza vaccination and mortality rates, few studies have examined racial/ethnic trends among US adolescents. We used national cross-sectional data to determine (1) trends in influenza vaccination rates among non-Hispanic white (hereinafter, white), non-Hispanic black (hereinafter, black), and Hispanic adolescents over time and (2) whether influenza vaccination rates among adolescents varied by race/ethnicity. Methods: We analyzed provider-reported vaccination histories for 2010-2016 from the National Immunization Survey–Teen. We used binary logistic regression models to determine trends in influenza vaccination rates by race/ethnicity for 117 273 adolescents, adjusted for sex, age, health insurance, physician visit in the previous 12 months, vaccination facility type, poverty status, maternal education level, children in the household, maternal marital status, maternal age, and census region of residence. We calculated adjusted probabilities for influenza vaccination for each racial/ethnic group, adjusted for the same demographic characteristics. Results: Compared with white adolescents, Hispanic adolescents had higher odds (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 1.11; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.06-1.16) and black adolescents had lower odds (aOR = 0.95; 95% CI, 0.90-1.00) of vaccination. Compared with white adolescents, Hispanic adolescents had significantly higher adjusted probabilities of vaccination for 2011-2013 (2011: 0.22, P < .001; 2012: 0.23, P < .001; 2013: 0.26, P < .001). Compared with white adolescents, black adolescents had significantly lower probabilities of vaccination for 2016 (2016: 0.21, P < .001). Conclusions: Targeted interventions are needed to improve adolescent influenza vaccination rates and reduce racial/ethnic disparities in adolescent vaccination coverage.


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