Relational empathy and holistic care in persons with spinal cord injuries

The Journal of Spinal Cord Medicine, 2017 · DOI: 10.1080/10790268.2015.1114227 · Published: January 1, 2017

Spinal Cord Injury Patient Experience Healthcare

Simple Explanation

This study explores how people with spinal cord injuries (SCI) perceive the empathy and holistic care they receive from healthcare providers. It looks at whether patients feel understood and cared for as individuals during their healthcare encounters. The research involved surveying individuals with SCI to gather their perspectives on the quality of their patient-provider relationships. The study aimed to identify factors that might influence these perceptions, such as the type of injury, health status, and whether the patient is a veteran or civilian. The findings highlight the importance of communication and empathy in healthcare for individuals with SCI. The study suggests that when healthcare providers focus on the whole person rather than just the disease, patients are more likely to perceive the care as empathetic and holistic.

Study Duration

Not specified

Participants

450 individuals with SCI (124 Veterans and 326 civilians)

Evidence Level

Level 4, Cross-sectional survey

Key Findings

1
Higher physical and mental health status were independently associated with greater perceptions of holistic care and empathy.
2
Individuals with tetraplegia were nearly two times more likely to have above-normative CARE scores compared to those with paraplegia.
3
Having a recent pressure ulcer showed a trend for lower odds of having a normative or higher CARE score.

Research Summary

This study examined the perceptions of individuals with SCI regarding holistic care and relational empathy in their healthcare encounters. The study used a mailed survey to collect data from Veterans and civilians with SCI. The results indicated that higher physical and mental health status, as well as tetraplegia, were independently associated with greater perceptions of holistic care and empathy. The study also found a trend suggesting that recent pressure ulcers were associated with lower CARE scores. The study concludes that healthcare providers should focus on patients as individuals, rather than solely on disease management, to improve empathy and holistic care in encounters with individuals with SCI. The authors suggest tailored training and education for health providers of persons with SCI may be needed.

Practical Implications

Improved Provider Training

Tailored training and education for healthcare providers is needed to enhance the healthcare experience of patients with SCI, supporting competence and confidence in addressing concerns with empathy and a holistic manner.

Focus on Patient-Provider Communication

There is a need for improved patient-provider communication among individuals with SCI, which may be realized, in part, through additional training of health care providers.

Holistic Approach to Care

Healthcare providers should emphasize relational empathy, focusing on the individual as a whole, considering contextual factors and life situations that affect decision-making, health, and healthcare.

Study Limitations

1
Data is based on self-reported information, subject to recall bias and social desirability.
2
The response rate was higher among civilians with SCI (44%) than Veterans with SCI (29%), which may make results more generalizable to the civilian SCI population.
3
The final multivariate regression model covariates accounted for 14% of the overall variance in mean CARE scores falling at or below the normative mean, suggesting the need for further exploration.

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