Is Physician Empathy Associated With Differences in Pain and Functional Limitations After a Hand Surgeon Visit?

Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research
Thomas J M KootstraDavid Ring

Abstract

In prior work we demonstrated that patient-rated physician empathy was the strongest driver of patient satisfaction after a visit to an orthopaedic hand surgeon. Data from the primary care setting suggest a positive association between physician empathy and clinical outcomes, including symptoms of the common cold. It is possible that an empathic encounter could make immediate and measureable changes in a patient's mindset, symptoms, and functional limitations. (1) Comparing patients who rated their physicians as perfectly empathic with those who did not, is there a difference in pre- to postvisit change in Patient Reported Outcome Measurement Information System (PROMIS) Upper Extremity Function scores? (2) Do patients who gave their physicians perfectly empathic ratings have a greater decrease in pre- to postvisit change in Pain Intensity, PROMIS Pain Interference, and PROMIS Depression scores? Between September 2015 and February 2016, based on the clinic patient flow, 134 new patients were asked to participate in this study. Eight patients were in a rush to leave the surgeon's office, which left us with a final cohort of 126 patients. Directly before and directly after the appointment with their physician, patients were asked ...Continue Reading

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