Racial and socioeconomic disparities in patient experience of clinician empathy: a protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis

Introduction Clinician empathy is a vital component of high-quality healthcare. Healthcare disparities may reflect a societal lack of empathy for disadvantaged persons in general, and recent research suggests that socioeconomic disparities exist in patient satisfaction with clinicians. However, it i...

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Main Authors: Brian W Roberts, Christian J Trzeciak, Nitin K Puri, Anthony J Mazzarelli, Stephen Trzeciak
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: BMJ Publishing Group 2020-06-01
Series:BMJ Open
Online Access:https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/10/6/e034247.full
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author Brian W Roberts
Christian J Trzeciak
Nitin K Puri
Anthony J Mazzarelli
Stephen Trzeciak
author_facet Brian W Roberts
Christian J Trzeciak
Nitin K Puri
Anthony J Mazzarelli
Stephen Trzeciak
author_sort Brian W Roberts
collection DOAJ
description Introduction Clinician empathy is a vital component of high-quality healthcare. Healthcare disparities may reflect a societal lack of empathy for disadvantaged persons in general, and recent research suggests that socioeconomic disparities exist in patient satisfaction with clinicians. However, it is currently unclear if there are disparities in patient experience of empathy from clinicians. Our objective is to systematically analyse the scientific literature to test the hypothesis that racial and socioeconomic status (SES) disparities exist in patient-reported experience of clinician empathy.Methods and analysis In accordance with published methodological guidelines for conducting a systematic review, we will analyse studies reporting patient assessment of clinician empathy using the Consultation and Relational Empathy (CARE) measure, which to date is the most commonly used and well-validated methodology in clinical research for measuring clinician empathy from the patient’s perspective. We will use a standardised data collection template and assess study quality (risk of bias) using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. We will abstract data for the CARE measure stratified by race and SES, and we will contact the corresponding authors to obtain stratified data by race/SES if not reported in the original manuscript. Where appropriate, we will pool the data and perform quantitative meta-analysis to test if non-white (compared to white) patients and low SES (compared to high SES) patients report lower scores for clinician empathy.Ethics and dissemination No individual patient-level data will be collected and thus the proposed systematic review does not require ethical approval. This systematic review will test if racial and SES differences exist in patient experience of clinician empathy, and will inform future research to help promote healthcare equity.PROSPERO registration number CRD42019142809.
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spelling doaj.art-7adbd599c32f4a9b9b1261e59f5830872022-12-21T20:02:55ZengBMJ Publishing GroupBMJ Open2044-60552020-06-0110610.1136/bmjopen-2019-034247Racial and socioeconomic disparities in patient experience of clinician empathy: a protocol for systematic review and meta-analysisBrian W Roberts0Christian J Trzeciak1Nitin K Puri2Anthony J Mazzarelli3Stephen Trzeciak4Departments of Medicine and Emergency Medicine, Cooper University Health Care, Camden, New Jersey, USADepartments of Medicine and Emergency Medicine, Cooper University Health Care, Camden, New Jersey, USADepartments of Medicine and Emergency Medicine, Cooper University Health Care, Camden, New Jersey, USADepartments of Medicine and Emergency Medicine, Cooper University Health Care, Camden, New Jersey, USADepartments of Medicine and Emergency Medicine, Cooper University Health Care, Camden, New Jersey, USAIntroduction Clinician empathy is a vital component of high-quality healthcare. Healthcare disparities may reflect a societal lack of empathy for disadvantaged persons in general, and recent research suggests that socioeconomic disparities exist in patient satisfaction with clinicians. However, it is currently unclear if there are disparities in patient experience of empathy from clinicians. Our objective is to systematically analyse the scientific literature to test the hypothesis that racial and socioeconomic status (SES) disparities exist in patient-reported experience of clinician empathy.Methods and analysis In accordance with published methodological guidelines for conducting a systematic review, we will analyse studies reporting patient assessment of clinician empathy using the Consultation and Relational Empathy (CARE) measure, which to date is the most commonly used and well-validated methodology in clinical research for measuring clinician empathy from the patient’s perspective. We will use a standardised data collection template and assess study quality (risk of bias) using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. We will abstract data for the CARE measure stratified by race and SES, and we will contact the corresponding authors to obtain stratified data by race/SES if not reported in the original manuscript. Where appropriate, we will pool the data and perform quantitative meta-analysis to test if non-white (compared to white) patients and low SES (compared to high SES) patients report lower scores for clinician empathy.Ethics and dissemination No individual patient-level data will be collected and thus the proposed systematic review does not require ethical approval. This systematic review will test if racial and SES differences exist in patient experience of clinician empathy, and will inform future research to help promote healthcare equity.PROSPERO registration number CRD42019142809.https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/10/6/e034247.full
spellingShingle Brian W Roberts
Christian J Trzeciak
Nitin K Puri
Anthony J Mazzarelli
Stephen Trzeciak
Racial and socioeconomic disparities in patient experience of clinician empathy: a protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis
BMJ Open
title Racial and socioeconomic disparities in patient experience of clinician empathy: a protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis
title_full Racial and socioeconomic disparities in patient experience of clinician empathy: a protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis
title_fullStr Racial and socioeconomic disparities in patient experience of clinician empathy: a protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis
title_full_unstemmed Racial and socioeconomic disparities in patient experience of clinician empathy: a protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis
title_short Racial and socioeconomic disparities in patient experience of clinician empathy: a protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis
title_sort racial and socioeconomic disparities in patient experience of clinician empathy a protocol for systematic review and meta analysis
url https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/10/6/e034247.full
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