The healing power of empathy
Research supports the long-term, positive effects of therapeutic empathy.
The vast majority of studies have concluded that patient perceptions of empathy among health professionals predict both physical and mental health improvement across a variety of measures (Mercer & Reynolds, 2002). Also, when nursing professionals consistently demonstrate empathy, patients subsequently experience:
- Reduced anxiety and pain
- Improved accuracy of assessments and diagnosis
- Earlier detection of medical conditions
- Higher patient satisfaction and empowerment
(Onofrei et al., 2023)
| Did You Know?!? The healing effects of therapeutic relationships are well-documented within the broader health sciences literature. In a fascinating study within primary care, Rakel et al. (2011) conducted a randomized controlled trial among 719 patients with new onset symptoms of an upper respiratory tract infection (URTI). Various measures of URTI severity were collected twice daily among patients randomized into one of three cohorts: no patient–provider interaction;‘standard’ patient–provider interaction; or,‘enhanced’ patient–provider interaction. Rakel et al. (2011) concluded that patients with the highest levels of provider interaction and patient-rated empathy outcomes had demonstrated significantly reduced symptom severity following infection with a URTI. Similarly, patients who received higher levels of provider empathy showed significantly higher expressions of interleukin-8 (IL-8) and neutrophils to fight their infection (Rakel et al., 2011). Theses results suggest a significant and cumulative effect of provider empathy on immune system function, resulting in reduced URTI severity and duration. |