The ebbs and flows of empathy: a qualitative study of surgical trainees in the UK (9 February 2024)

Summary

Research conducted by a team at the University of Birmingham delves into the intricate dynamics of empathy towards patients and colleagues, revealing insights that challenge conventional wisdom.

Empathy is widely recognised as a cornerstone of medical care. Increased physician empathy has been linked to better patient outcomes and satisfaction, yet there has been little exploration of its presence in surgical training.

The study involved interviews with 10 surgical trainees at various stages of their careers to uncover a nuanced understanding of empathy within the profession.

Contrary to the widely documented decline in empathy among medical students and professionals, participants described their experiences as a balance between empathy and the demands of surgical practice.

Participants acknowledged the importance of empathy in patient care but highlighted the challenges of maintaining it amid the pressures of a surgical environment.

They described a delicate balance between understanding patients’ needs and the efficiency required to manage high patient volumes and demanding workloads.

The study revealed how empathy evolves throughout a surgeon’s career.

Whilst some trainees experienced desensitisation to emotional stimuli, many described increased empathy as they gained more experience and exposure to patient care.