A compelling new review published in The American Journal of Emergency Medicine suggests that compassionate care delivered in the often-stressful environment of the emergency department (ED) may lead to significant and lasting improvements in patient health. The authors of the review strongly urge for expanded research specifically focused on compassionate care within the ED setting, alongside more targeted training for healthcare professionals.
Lead author Dr. Clifford M. Marks and colleagues from Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center highlight the challenging reality of the ED, often characterized by overcrowding and urgent clinical demands. They acknowledge that demonstrating compassion might seem secondary to immediate medical tasks. However, their review of existing evidence indicates that the impact of compassion on patients could be far more substantial than often realized in the moment.
While the value of compassion in healthcare is widely acknowledged, the review points out a significant lack of research specifically examining its effects within the ED. The authors emphasize that the high-stakes and uncertain nature of emergency care arguably makes compassion even more critical in this setting. Current research has primarily focused on the link between compassion and reduced anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms, leaving a gap in understanding its broader impact on patient outcomes.
The review highlights a key ED-focused study involving patients experiencing life-threatening emergencies. This research found a direct correlation between patients perceiving greater compassion from healthcare providers and experiencing fewer PTSD symptoms a month later. Specifically, a small increase in compassion measurement score was associated with a notable decrease in the likelihood of developing PTSD symptoms.
Supporting this quantitative data, the authors also cited a qualitative study analyzing the experiences of survivors of a major bus crash who received emergency care. This analysis revealed that a lack of compassion in the ED caused significant distress among survivors, and their memories of whether ED providers showed compassion (or not) heavily influenced their recollections even five years after the event.
Drawing insights from studies in other clinical settings like outpatient clinics and hospitals, the review suggests that compassion may also influence how patients perceive pain and their adherence to medication regimens. Research on migraine patients showed a positive link between perceived empathy from clinicians and symptom improvement, while a study on diabetes patients found that those whose doctors scored higher in empathy were more likely to achieve their target blood sugar levels.
To better understand the impact of compassion in the ED, the authors advocate for future research to utilize patient-reported outcome measures, emphasizing the recently validated 5-Item Compassion Measure as a reliable tool for quantifying compassionate behaviors in high-pressure situations.
Recognizing the current lack of specific training in this area, the review strongly calls for expanded and targeted training on compassionate care for ED professionals. The authors note that the field of compassion training in medicine is still in its early stages, with very few studies focusing specifically on emergency medicine physicians.
Given the demanding and critical nature of the ED environment, the review concludes that rigorous research on the effects of compassion is urgently needed. The authors argue that understanding the impact of compassion deserves the same level of scientific scrutiny as evaluating the effectiveness of medications and medical procedures. Without such research, the crucial role of compassion in improving patient outcomes risks being overlooked.
Source: Physician’s Weekly | May 2, 2025