title: The Perception of Physician Empathy by Patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study focused on the difference between perceived and desired physician empathy (pPE and dPE) in the eye of patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). It was investigated if a discrepancy (ΔPE) correlates with trust and satisfaction of patients. At the same time the aim was to gain detailed information about the subjective burden of disease and the resources of IBD patients, in order to better understand them.
  
  
  METHODS
  A modified version of the German Version of the Consultation and Relational Empathy (CARE) measure was completed as a paper-and-pencil questionnaire by IBD patients attending our facility (n = 32) and as an online survey by IBD patients at other locations throughout Germany (n = 89). Patients were in average 36.3±12 years old.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean (SD) rating of pPE was 3.93 (0.96) on a scale of 1 to 5 ("poor" to "excellent"); however, the mean (SD) dPE was 4.38 (0.48) on the same scale. ΔPE correlated with perceived empathy and with patients' satisfaction with treatment and trust in their health care providers. Patients reported quite a high subjective burden (mean [SD]: 2.93 [.63]) and named family, friends, and support groups as resources.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Rather than assessing patient satisfaction with treatment and trust in their physician only with perceived PE, we suggest ΔPE as a useful additional parameter.
authors.affiliation: Department of General, Visceral, Vascular and Transplantation Surgery, Hospital of the University of Munich (LMU), Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: Costanza
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Chiapponi
authors.affiliation: Center of Empirical Educational Research (zepf), University of Koblenz-Landau, Campus Landau, Landau in der Pfalz, Germany.
authors.forename: Maxie
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Witt
authors.affiliation: Center of Empirical Educational Research (zepf), University of Koblenz-Landau, Campus Landau, Landau in der Pfalz, Germany.
authors.forename: Gabriele E
authors.initials: GE
authors.lastname: Dlugosch
authors.affiliation: Medizinische Klinik IV, Division of Gastroenterology, Hospital of the University of Munich (LMU), Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: Veit
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Gülberg
authors.affiliation: Department of General, Visceral, Vascular and Transplantation Surgery, Hospital of the University of Munich (LMU), Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: Matthias
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Siebeck
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D004645:Empathy / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015212:Inflammatory Bowel Diseases / Q000523:psychology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010465:Perception; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D010820:Physicians / Q000523:psychology*