Components of empathy: A Delphi study

IF 3.1 2区医学 Q2 PUBLIC, ENVIRONMENTAL & OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH

Patient Education and Counseling Pub Date : 2026-03-01 Epub Date: 2025-11-21 DOI:10.1016/j.pec.2025.109430

Monika Byrne, Svetlana Daly, Clare M. McCann, Anna Miles

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Objectives

The aim of this study was to define the components of empathy in the helping professions through group discussion between experts who rely on empathy in their work.

Methods

In round 1 of the three round online Delphi study, we developed the draft definition based on healthcare education, affective neuroscience and psychology literature on empathy. Professionals practising in New Zealand and Australia in the fields of medicine, nursing, allied health, psychology, counselling, social work and education were invited to participate. In round 2, participants indicated their agreement with empathy components and suggested improvements. In round 3, experts received a summary of the group responses and rated the modified empathy components. Threshold for inclusion of components in the final definition was 70 % agreement.

Results

Forty-three experts participated in round 2 and 25 in round 3. In round 2, 8 out of 12 components achieved 70 % agreement. Having considered participant feedback, multiple versions of some components were included in round 3 to improve their phrasing. Four components below the agreement threshold were updated and included in round 3, together with 3 new components.

Conclusions

The resulting definition of empathy focuses on sustainable ways empathy can be shown and the skills this capacity relies on. The components and sub-skills of empathy are self-reflection, which helps process empathic encounters and learn from them for the future; emotional intelligence, including self-regulation of emotions; self-awareness, specifically of own biases; avoiding judgement; active listening; and helpful action, understood as knowing what to do or say that another person may find helpful in a particular situation, especially when it is not possible to confirm their needs. The resulting empathy definition, highlighting its underlying skills, can guide the development of empathy fostering educational programs and the creation of measures that accurately reflect students’ proficiency in these skills.

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共情的组成：德尔菲研究

目的本研究的目的是通过在工作中依赖共情的专家之间的小组讨论来定义帮助者职业中共情的组成部分。方法在三轮在线德尔菲研究的第一轮中，我们基于医疗保健教育、情感神经科学和心理学文献制定了关于共情的定义草案。邀请了在新西兰和澳大利亚从事医学、护理、联合保健、心理学、咨询、社会工作和教育等领域的专业人员参加。在第二轮中，参与者表示他们同意共情成分并提出改进建议。在第三轮中，专家们收到了小组反应的总结，并对修改后的移情成分进行了评分。最终定义中包含成分的阈值为70% %一致性。结果第2轮共有43名专家参与，第3轮共有25名专家参与。在第2轮中，12个组成部分中有8个达到了70% %的一致性。考虑到参与者的反馈，在第三轮中加入了一些组件的多个版本，以改进它们的措辞。低于协议阈值的四个组成部分被更新并纳入第3轮，以及3个新组成部分。结论共情的定义侧重于持续的共情表现方式和这种能力所依赖的技能。共情的组成部分和子技能是自我反思，它有助于处理共情遭遇并从中吸取教训；情商，包括情绪的自我调节；自我意识，特别是对自己偏见的意识；避免判断;积极倾听;以及有益的行动，被理解为知道在特定情况下做什么或说什么可能对另一个人有帮助，特别是当不可能确认他们的需求时。由此产生的共情定义，突出了其潜在的技能，可以指导共情培养教育项目的发展，并创建准确反映学生对这些技能熟练程度的措施。

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来源期刊

Patient Education and Counseling 医学-公共卫生、环境卫生与职业卫生

CiteScore

5.60

自引率

11.40%

发文量

384

审稿时长

46 days

期刊介绍： Patient Education and Counseling is an interdisciplinary, international journal for patient education and health promotion researchers, managers and clinicians. The journal seeks to explore and elucidate the educational, counseling and communication models in health care. Its aim is to provide a forum for fundamental as well as applied research, and to promote the study of organizational issues involved with the delivery of patient education, counseling, health promotion services and training models in improving communication between providers and patients.