This 90-minute session begins with a 30-minute review of findings from a multisite primary care study showing that patients who experienced higher clinician empathy reported better mental and physical health, with associations persisting over two years. These results underscore empathy as a valuable clinical skill with meaningful impact on patients’ outcomes. The remaining 60 minutes is an experiential workshop introducing a brief communication approach for demonstrating empathy: the “Ordinary and Unique” procedure. Through self-reflection, paired practice, and discussion, participants will strengthen their ability to offer concise empathic reflections while bridging differences in identities and lived experiences.
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Nembhard, I. M., David, G., Ezzeddine, I., Betts, D., and Radin, J. (2023). A systematic review of research on empathy in health care. Health Services Research, 58(2), 250–263. https://doi.org/10.1111/1475-6773.14016
Osch, M. van, Dulmen, S. van, Vliet, L. van, and Bensing, J. (2017). Specifying the effects of physician’s communication on patients’ outcomes: A randomised controlled trial. Patient Education and Counseling, 100(8), 1482–1489. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pec.2017.03.009
Rakel, D. P., Hoeft, T. J., Barrett, B. P., Chewning, B. A., Craig, B. M., and Niu, M. (2009). Practitioner empathy and the duration of the common cold. Family Medicine, 41(7), 494–501.
Wang, Y., Wu, Q., Wang, Y., and Wang, P. (2022). The Effects of Physicians’ Communication and Empathy Ability on Physician–Patient Relationship from Physicians’ and Patients’ Perspectives. Journal of Clinical Psychology in Medical Settings, 29(4), 849–860. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10880-022-09844-1