Objective:
To test the hypothesis that physicians preferring a sympathetic over an empathetic response to a hypothetical patient’s misfortune
will utilize more health care resources in the care of their patients.
Design:Physicians were asked to select either the sympathetic response or the empathetic response to a hypothetical patient’s misfortune
(death of a spouse) and to state their preferences for intubation of a hypothetical end-stage lung-disease patient. For each
physician, hospital records were retrospectively reviewed to assess the mean number of laboratory tests ordered per clinic
patient and the mean duration of cardiopulmonary resuscitations he or she performed before declaring his or her efforts unsuccessful.
Setting:General medicine clinic at a large urban hospital.
Participants:101 physicians above the postgraduate year-1 level who attended the general medicine clinic.
Measurements and main results:As hypothesized, physicians selecting the sympathetic option (n=58) had a greater mean preference for intubation (p<0.02), ordered more laboratory tests per patient in clinic (p<0.03), and
performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation for longer periods of time before declaring their efforts unsuccessful (p<0.06) than
did physicians selecting the empathetic option (n=38).
Conclusions:These data suggest that the constructs of sympathy and empathy reflect psychological aspects of physicians that have a measurable
influence on their practice behaviors.
Key words empathy - physician-patient interaction - practice style - resource utilization - sympathy
Presented at the Southern Regional Meeting of the Society of General Internal Medicine, New Orleans, Louisiana, February 4,
1988.
Supported in part by a grant from the National Science Foundation (SES-8822337).