Perceived Relational Empathy and Resilience in People with Spinal Cord Injury at the End of Acute Care: A Cross-Sectional Study

Healthcare, 2024 · DOI: 10.3390/healthcare12161559 · Published: August 6, 2024

Spinal Cord Injury Patient Experience Rehabilitation

Simple Explanation

This study focuses on understanding the experiences and outcomes reported by patients with spinal cord injuries (SCI) during their acute care phase. It looks at factors like relational empathy from healthcare providers and the patients' resilience. The research examines the connection between perceived relational empathy (how well patients feel understood and cared for by their doctors) and resilience (the ability to bounce back from difficulties) in SCI patients. The findings aim to help personalize care plans after patients leave the hospital, ensuring they receive the support needed for a smooth transition and continued well-being.

Study Duration

37 months

Participants

148 adults with SCI; 82.4% were male, with a mean age of 49.9 years

Evidence Level

Cross-sectional study

Key Findings

1
Perceived relational empathy was positively associated with resilience, suggesting that patients who felt more understood by their doctors exhibited greater resilience.
2
Relational empathy was negatively associated with the length of stay, indicating that patients with longer hospital stays perceived less empathy from their doctors.
3
Resilience had a weak negative association with pain, suggesting that patients experiencing higher levels of pain tended to be less resilient.

Research Summary

This cross-sectional study investigated the relationship between perceived relational empathy, resilience, and various clinical and demographic variables in adult SCI patients at discharge from intensive care. The study involved administering questionnaires to measure empathy, functional autonomy, pain, and resilience. The results indicated a positive association between perceived relational empathy and resilience, and a negative association between empathy and the length of hospital stay and lesion completeness. Resilience was also found to have a weak negative association with pain. The study concludes that routine assessment of patient-reported experience measures (PREMs) and patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) should be considered to personalize post-discharge therapeutic plans and ensure continuity of care for SCI patients.

Practical Implications

Personalized Care Plans

Clinicians should routinely assess PREMs and PROMs to tailor post-discharge therapeutic plans to individual patient needs.

Empathy Training

Healthcare professionals should focus on building empathic relationships with patients, as it can improve resilience and overall well-being.

Targeted Interventions

Interventions should be developed to address pain management and improve resilience among SCI patients, especially those with longer hospital stays and complete lesions.

Study Limitations

1
Cross-sectional design limits the ability to determine causality.
2
The study population was recruited from a tertiary hospital, potentially limiting the generalizability of the results.
3
Possible determinants of resilience such as religiousness, depression, life satisfaction, and social support were not collected

Your Feedback

Was this summary helpful?

Back to Spinal Cord Injury