Physician empathy and chronic pain outcomes (11 April 2024)

Summary

This cohort study in JAMA Network Open explored whether the empathy displayed by doctors has an impact on the outcomes of patients with chronic pain. 1470 adults with chronic low back pain were included in the study, in which empathy was more strongly associated with favourable outcomes than nonpharmacological treatments, opioid therapy and lumbar spine surgery.

The findings suggest that empathy is an important aspect of the patient-doctor relationship and is associated with better outcomes among patients with chronic pain.