Let's talk about empathy!

BACKGROUND:Research faces a challenge to find a shared, adequate and scientific definition of empathy. OBJECTIVE:Our work aimed to analyze what clinical empathy is in the specific context of cancer care and to identify the effect of empathy in it. METHOD:This study gives voice to physicians with extensive experience in cancer care. This original research combines qualitative data collection and quantitative data analysis. Semi-structured individual interviews were conducted with 25 physicians. The content of the interviews was analyzed according to the Content Analysis Technique. RESULTS:Empathy is described according to six dimensions that give a strong role to interpersonal and cognitive skills. This description integrates previous and various conceptualizations of clinical empathy. Physicians detail the beneficial effects of clinical empathy on patients' outcomes and well-being as well as physicians' practices. Physician interviews also revealed the relationship between empathic concerns and physicians' emotional difficulties. CONCLUSION:Empathy in cancer care is a complex process and a multicomponent competence. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS:This operational description of clinical empathy has three main implications: to draw up a training program for physicians, to detail recommendations for physicians' work-related quality of life and to develop new tools to measure empathy.