Doctor A new study from Thomas Jefferson University has found that for diabetes patients with doctors who have high levels of empathy, better clinical outcomes – greater improvements in keeping it under control – are more likely.
For the study, researchers looked at records from 891 diabetic patients who had been treated over a three-year period by 29 different doctors. To assess the empathy of the doctors, the researchers used a specially devised method, which looks at the doctor’s understanding of patient care and their intention or desire to help, resulting in a figure on what’s called the Jefferson Scale of Empathy.
Doctors are asked to answer 20 questions with seven different options from strongly agree (7) to disagree (1). When the 29 doctors were assessed, they were told that their scores would be used to correlate with their diabetic patients’ test results.
Then, the researchers used haemoglobin test results that had been done on the diabetic patients to assess each patient’s blood glucose control. They also looked at the patients’ LDL levels. The researchers theorised that patients who had empathetic doctors would be more likely to show good blood glucose and LDL level control. Their theory was found to be correct. Those patients with doctors who had low empathy scores were also more likely to show poor management of glucose levels and LDL.
Why a doctor’s general attitude should make such a difference isn’t certain. It could be that a patient is simply more likely to follow advice from a doctor who comes across as more understanding. Diabetic patients are advised to change their diets and exercise more regularly, so perhaps hearing this advice from someone who feels sympathetic is easier to take on board.
First published March 9, 2011