Sophie Lelorain1, Stéphane Cattan2, Florian Lordick3, Anja Mehnert4, Christophe Mariette5, Véronique Christophe6, Alexis Cortot7. 1. Univ. Lille, CNRS, CHU Lille, UMR 9193, SCALab, Cognitive and Affective Sciences, Lille, France; SIRIC (French comprehensive cancer center), ONCOLille, France. Electronic address: sophie.lelorain@univ-lille.fr. 2. Univ. Lille, Department of Digestive Diseases, Claude Huriez University Hospital, Lille, France. 3. University Medicine Leipzig, University Cancer Center Leipzig (UCCL), Germany. 4. Department of Medical Psychology and Medical Sociology, University Medical Center Leipzig, Germany. 5. SIRIC (French comprehensive cancer center), ONCOLille, France; Univ. Lille, Department of Digestive and Oncological Surgery, Claude Huriez University Hospital, Lille, France; Univ. Lille, UMR-S 1172, JPARC, Research Center Jean-Pierre AUBERT Neurosciences and Cancer, Lille, France. 6. Univ. Lille, CNRS, CHU Lille, UMR 9193, SCALab, Cognitive and Affective Sciences, Lille, France; SIRIC (French comprehensive cancer center), ONCOLille, France. 7. Univ. Lille, Department of Thoracic Oncology, Albert Calmette University Hospital, Lille, France.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: In cancer settings, physician empathy is not always linked to a better patient emotional quality of life quality of life (eQoL). We tested two possible moderators of the inconsistent link: type of consultation (bad news versus follow-up) and patient emotional skills (emoSkills, i.e., the way patients process emotional information). METHODS: In a cross-sectional design, 296 thoracic and digestive tract cancer patients completed validated questionnaires to assess their physician empathy, their emoSkills and eQoL. Moderated multiple regressions were performed. RESULTS: In follow-up consultations, physician empathy was associated with a better eQoL in patients with low or average emotional skills. Those with high emotional skills did not benefit from physician empathy. Their eQoL was nonetheless very good. In bad news consultations, the pattern was reversed: only patients with average or high emotional skills benefited from physician empathy. Those with low emotional skills were not sensitive to it and presented a poor eQoL. CONCLUSION: Medical empathy is important in all consultations. However, in bad news consultations, patients with low emoSkills are at risk of psychological distress even with an empathetic doctor. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: Accordingly, physicians should be trained to detect patients with low emoSkills in order to refer them to supportive care.
OBJECTIVE: In cancer settings, physician empathy is not always linked to a better patient emotional quality of life quality of life (eQoL). We tested two possible moderators of the inconsistent link: type of consultation (bad news versus follow-up) and patient emotional skills (emoSkills, i.e., the way patients process emotional information). METHODS: In a cross-sectional design, 296 thoracic and digestive tract cancerpatients completed validated questionnaires to assess their physician empathy, their emoSkills and eQoL. Moderated multiple regressions were performed. RESULTS: In follow-up consultations, physician empathy was associated with a better eQoL in patients with low or average emotional skills. Those with high emotional skills did not benefit from physician empathy. Their eQoL was nonetheless very good. In bad news consultations, the pattern was reversed: only patients with average or high emotional skills benefited from physician empathy. Those with low emotional skills were not sensitive to it and presented a poor eQoL. CONCLUSION: Medical empathy is important in all consultations. However, in bad news consultations, patients with low emoSkills are at risk of psychological distress even with an empathetic doctor. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: Accordingly, physicians should be trained to detect patients with low emoSkills in order to refer them to supportive care.
Authors: Patricia A Parker; Smita C Banerjee; Matthew J Matasar; Carma L Bylund; Elizabeth Schofield; Yuelin Li; Paul B Jacobsen; Alan B Astrow; Howard Leventhal; Steven Horwitz; David Kissane Journal: Psychooncology Date: 2020-03-11 Impact factor: 3.894