Articles: empathy.
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Empathy is the backbone of a positive physician-patient relationship. Physician empathy and the patient's awareness of the physician's empathic concern can lead to a more positive clinical outcome. ⋯ These findings provide further support for the validity of the JSPE. Implications for the assessments of empathy in the physician-patient relationship as related to clinical outcomes are discussed.
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Considerable research has been conducted recently into the notion of patient-centred consulting. The primary goal of this approach is to establish a clear understanding of the patient's perspective on his or her problem, and to allow this understanding to inform both the explanation and planning stages of the consultation. The quality of this understanding is largely determined by the empathic accuracy achieved by the doctor; the primary benefit is a therapeutic rapport between doctor and patient. ⋯ The model appears to capture the dynamic process of establishing a therapeutic relationship (rapport) between doctor and patient, defined by the quality of the doctor's understanding of the patient's perspective on his or her problem. Arguably, the most important contribution of the model is to highlight the fact that 'empathy' and consequent 'rapport' are not mystical or exclusive concepts but, rather, involve the use of specific skills accessible at some level by all.