The importance of empathy in the enablement of patients attending the Glasgow Homoeopathic Hospital.
BACKGROUND
Patient enablement in general practice is known to be limited by consultation length. However, the processes within the consultation that lead to enablement are not well understood.


OBJECTIVE
To investigate patient enablement in a setting where time is less of a constraint than in primary care, in order to determine the importance of other factors in enablement.


METHODS
Exploratory questionnaire-based study.


METHODS
Two hundred consecutive outpatients attending four doctors at the Glasgow Homoeopathic Hospital, an NHS-funded integrated complementary and orthodox medicine unit.


METHODS
Information was collected on enablement and a range of other factors, including the patients expectations, their perception of the doctors empathy, and the doctors own confidence in the doctor-patient relationship.


RESULTS
Although there were many factors that correlated with enablement, multi-regression analysis showed patients expectation, doctor's empathy (as perceived by the patient), and doctor's own confidence in the therapeutic relationship to be the three key factors. Together they accounted for 41% of the variation in enablement, with empathy being the single most important factor (66% of the explained variation in enablement).


CONCLUSIONS
Patient enablement at the Glasgow Homoeopathic Hospital is mainly related to the patients perception of the doctor's empathy.
Mercer
Stewart W
SW
Department of General Practice, University of Glasgow. Stewmercer@aol.com
Reilly
David
D
Watt
Graham C M
GC
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000529:Complementary Therapies / Q000592:standards; D004645:Empathy; D005260:Female; D006694:Holistic Health; D006705:Homeopathy; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D012606:Scotland