More satisfied patients, higher reimbursement, less stress.


Patient satisfaction has become increasingly important to hospital organizations, as reimbursement metrics have incorporated these ratings.  Research has demonstrated that medical professionals who communicate with empathy have higher patient satisfaction ratings.(Riess, 2012).  In addition, effective communication between clinicians and patients actually improves the patient experience, which ultimately leads to improved clinical health outcomes.

Providing empathic care does not necessarily require increased costs or more time with patients. In fact, empathic interactions with others can actually save time and are more effective using the techniques in our training.

Empathic communication between clinicians and patients will lead to a more engaged healthcare experience.  With improved communication, patients who experience empathic care have better medical outcomes (Kelley, Riess et al. 2014; Hojat, 2011; Rakel, 2009; Kaptchuck, 2008).  In addition, adherence to treatment recommendations increases when medical professionals deliver patient-centered, compassionate care (Halpern, 2010).
Symptoms of burnout affect as many as 43%-60% of physicians and nurses. It is imperative that they are equipped with relational skillsets to have greater awareness of their own emotional states, better communicate with their patients and work well in teams.  Effective clinician communication is key to patient satisfaction in the healthcare system.  Communicating empathically increases clinician job satisfaction and reduces burnout (Thirioux et al. 2016; Krasner, 2009; Shanafelt, 2009; West, 2011).  Furthermore, enhanced empathic care and physician well-being are highly correlated (Shanafelt, 2005). 
With the implementation of the Affordable Care Act, reimbursement metrics have changed for hospitals to incorporate patient satisfaction ratings.  Communicating with empathy will lead to higher patient satisfaction, which in turn leads to adherence to treatment recommendations and better clinical health outcomes. Research shows that hospitals with the highest patient satisfaction scores report the highest reimbursement rates.
Empathic clinician communication improves the quality of all interactions with others; patients, their families, colleagues, and loved ones (Halpern, 2012).  In addition, a key component of the patient experience is the cohesion of the healthcare team and how well they collaborate with one other.  Strong communication between colleagues working in healthcare settings will lead to better coordination of patient care.
82% of medical malpractice claims are the result of breakdowns in communication.  These may include poor clinician attitudes, communication failure and failure to manage unrealistic patient and family expectations. Empathetics eLearning programs are designed to improve patient satisfaction while reducing the likelihood of medical malpractice claims.

“The ability to engage in difficult conversations in a way that maintains the relationship and enables healing is so important. Empathetics is a company whose mission we heartily support. We promote Empathetics with all of our clients to help their teams develop more meaningful connections with their patients.” — Minnesota Malpractice Insurance Company (MMIC)