Characteristics associated with empathic behavior in Japanese oncologists.
cross_sectional · Level IV
Where this comes from
- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 23896125.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1016/j.pec.2013.06.023.
- No licence information is recorded for this record.
- Because redistribution is not established, this page shows the abstract only. Follow the links below for the full text.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: Oncologists must have empathy when breaking bad news to patients who have incurable advanced cancer, and the level of empathy often depends on various individual characteristics. This study aimed to clarify the relationship between these characteristics and empathic behavior in Japanese oncologists. METHODS: We videotaped consultations in which oncologists conveyed news of incurable advanced cancer to simulated patients. Oncologists' empathetic behaviors were coded, and regression analysis was performed to determine the existence of any relationships with factors such as age, sex, and specialism. RESULTS: Sixty oncologists participated. In a multivariate model, only age was related to the empathy score (r=0.406, p=0.033); younger oncologists scored higher than did older oncologists. CONCLUSIONS: We found that empathic behaviors were more frequent in younger oncologists. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: This information could be useful in determining the best approach for implementing future empathy and communication training programs for experienced oncologists in Japanese medical institutions.