Verbal Social Support for Newly Diagnosed Breast Cancer Patients during Surgical Decision-Making Visits

How do perceptions of verbal statements and nonverbal actions as empathetic differ by medical appointment context?

OBJECTIVE

Empathy is a crucial component of the provider-patient relationship. This research tested a list of 18 verbal statements and 21 nonverbal actions, which healthcare providers can use to provide empathy.

METHODS

Prior to rating the statements and behaviors for empathy, 466 participants were randomly assigned in an online experiment in which participants were asked to imagine they were in a medical appointment where they were experiencing either general stress, receiving bad news, or learning of a medical error which made them become emotional.

RESULTS

Results indicated the most highly rated statement was "My entire staff is here for you." The most highly rated nonverbal action was spending extra time with the patient. Expectations of empathy were found to rise with severity of context.

CONCLUSIONS

This research found statements/actions of empathy can be tailored to the context of the appointment.

PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS

This research can be used to provide concrete examples regarding the frequently offered advice that physicians provide empathy to their patients.

Above and beyond: an exploratory study of breast cancer patient accounts of healthcare provider information-giving practices and informational support

This qualitative study examines breast cancer patients’ accounts of the characteristics of healthcare providers’ supportive information- giving practices. Twenty-two women diagnosed with breast cancer participated in semi-structured in-depth interviews designed to understand their experiences receiving supportive information from healthcare providers (e.g., oncologists, surgeons, nurse practitioners). Participants’ accounts suggest that providers who spend extensive time discussing cancer-related information and who explain that information thoroughly so that patients can understand their medical situation, are communicating informational support in contrast to merely presenting factual information related to cancer diagnosis and treatments. Participant accounts further suggest that the supportive nature of provider information-giving practices results from message framing, or the provider’s metacommunication.