Sympathy and empathy are closely related terms that are both important traits of emotional intelligence. Emotional intelligence (EQ) is believed to be more important to success in career, and potentially patient relationships, than intellectual intelligence (IQ) (Cherry, 2022). In healthcare, sympathy and empathy are often used interchangeably, however there are differentiating qualities of each that set them apart from each other.

Defining Sympathy and Empathy

Sympathy is defined as an emotional reaction of pity toward the misfortune of another. It is the appreciation of what a person is going through from your own perspective. An example of a sympathetic statement is, “I am sorry you are suffering with chronic pain.”  Sympathy is often motivated by pity, ego, and obligation.

In contrast, empathy is defined as the ability to understand and accurately acknowledge another’s feelings. Another way to define empathy is the ability to emotionally understand what someone is going through from the other person’s perspective. It is putting yourself in someone else’s shoes to better understand that person’s situation; it is the ability to ‘feel with someone.’  An example of an empathetic statement is, “I see your chronic pain is causing a lot of stress in your life; help me understand more about your situation.” Motivators of empathy include affective understanding of the other person and relatedness to that person (Sinclair et al., 2017).

How do Sympathy and Empathy Relate to Patient Care?

How do our patients perceive sympathetic and empathetic statements? Which ones will most benefit our patient relationships? Research reports that patients feel sympathy is superficial and a misguided reaction to suffering. It promotes the well-being of the observers, i.e., a flood of get-well cards or phone calls/texts, that are often short-lived and overwhelming to the sufferer. Sympathy is not effective in meeting patient needs and is an emotionally distant, depersonalized response.

Conversely, empathy has a much more positive patient response. The patient feels the observer is emotionally engaged and the patient feels the personal connection. Empathy is welcomed and valued by patients. It is a superior emotional response to help alleviate the suffering of our patients and enhance relationship bonds (Sinclair et al., 2017).

Developing the Skill of Empathy

Emotional skills and reactions come naturally to us all, but self-awareness is imperative to assess the integrity and effectiveness of your current personal EQ qualities. No matter your EQ starting point, emotional skills such as empathy can be developed and improved.

• Start by truly and actively listening to your patients through both their verbal and non-verbal language. Asks open ended questions.
• Next, practice empathizing with what the patient is communicating to you by asking yourself how you would feel in their situation.
• Finally, take time to reflect on how your emotions play a part in your interactions with the patients. Take time to conjure thoughtful and meaningful responses to situations that will provide comfort and direction to the conversation or relationship (Cherry, 2022).

Practicing these steps will lead to skills that can enhance not only your professional relationships with patients and colleagues, but also personal bonds with family and friends too.

References

Cherry, K. (2022, November 7). What is emotional intelligence. Very Well Mind. https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-emotional-intelligence-2795423

Sinclair, S., Beamer, K., Hack, T., McClement, S., Bouchal, S., Chochinov, H., & Hagen, N. (2017). Sympathy, empathy, and compassion: A ground theory of palliative care patients’ understandings, experiences, and preferences. Palliative Medicine, 31(5), 437-447. https://doi.org/10.1177/0269216316663499