Embodying empathy: A phenomenological study of physician touch

Abstract

Empathic physician behaviour is associated with improved patient outcomes. One way to demonstrate empathy is through the use of non‐verbal communication (NVC) including touch. To date, research on NVC, and specifically touch, has been relatively limited in medicine, which is surprising given the central role it plays in conveying affective and empathic messages. To inform curriculum development on NVC, this study aimed to examine physicians' experiences of communicating by touch.