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Compassion in Health Care: An Empirical Model
Open accessAbstract
CONTEXT: Compassion is frequently referenced as a hallmark of quality care by patients, health care providers, health care administrators, and policy makers. Despite its putative centrality, including its institution in recent health care reform, an empirical understanding based on the perspectives of patients, the recipients of compassion, is lacking-making compassion one of the most referenced yet poorly understood elements of quality care. OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study was to investigate palliative cancer patients' understanding and experiences of compassion to provide a critical perspective on the nature and importance of compassion. METHODS: This grounded theory study used semi-structured interviews to investigate how patients understand and experience compassion in clinical care. Using convenience and theoretical sampling, 53 advanced cancer inpatients were recruited over a seven-month period from a specialized palliative care unit and hospital-wide palliative care service within a Canadian urban setting. Data were analyzed by four members of the research team through the three stages of Straussian grounded theory. RESULTS: Qualitative analysis yielded seven categories, each containing distinct themes and subthemes. Together, they constitute components of the compassion model-the first empirically based clinical model of compassion. The model defines compassion as a virtuous response that seeks to address the suffering and needs of a person through relational understanding and action. CONCLUSION: The components of the compassion model provide insight into how patients understand and experience compassion, providing the necessary empirical foundation to develop future research, measures, training, and clinical care based on this vital feature of quality care.
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“The authors note however that, compassion qualities can be cultivated or eroded over time, with practice setting being one of the most powerful modifiers.”
From Mindfulness and compassion-oriented practices at work reduce distress and enhance self-care of palliative care teams: a mixed-method evaluation of an "on the job" program. (2018) · cites this paper as [73]
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“Thus, although the roots of compassion seem to be innate, current evidence suggests that training, including meditation, can help to sustain compassion and nurture it over time.”
From Mindfulness and compassion-oriented practices at work reduce distress and enhance self-care of palliative care teams: a mixed-method evaluation of an "on the job" program. (2018) · cites this paper as [73]
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“They concluded that patient’s perceived compassion as being rooted in the virtues of their health care provider, generating the first evidence-based definition of compassion—a virtuous response that seeks to address the suffering and needs of a person through relational understanding and action.”
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Sinclair, S., Beamer, K., Hack, T. F., McClement, S., Bouchal, S. R., Chochinov, H. M., & Hagen, N. A. (2016) · Palliative Medicine · doi:10.1177/0269216316663499 · Cited by 640
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Metadata
- Authors
- Sinclair, S., McClement, S., Raffin-Bouchal, S., Hack, T. F., Hagen, N. A., McConnell, S., & Chochinov, H. M.
- Affiliations
- University of Calgary (CA)
- CancerCare Manitoba (CA)
- Corresponding author
- Sinclair, Shane
- Venue
- Journal of Pain and Symptom Management
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2016-02
- Volume
- 51
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- 193-203
- ISSN
- 0885-3924 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W1912558312
- Cited by
- 328
- References
- 39
- Citations by year
- 2026: 42 · 2025: 39 · 2024: 39 · 2023: 21 · 2022: 39 · 2021: 36 · 2020: 41 · 2019: 27 · 2018: 21 · 2017: 13 · 2016: 10
- FWCI
- 11.89
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- hybrid
- doi.org
- Licence
- Locations
- Journal of Pain and Symptom Management (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Libraries and Cultural Resources (University of Calgary) (submittedVersion)
- Funders
- Canadian Institutes of Health Research (125931)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Psychiatry and Mental health › Empathy and Medical Education
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Palliative and Oncologic Care
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Palliative Care and End-of-Life Issues
- Keywords
- compassion, palliative care, advanced cancer, patient experience, quality of care, patient suffering, relational understanding
- MeSH terms
- Canada, Empathy, Female, Humans, Inpatients, Interviews as Topic, Male, Middle Aged, Models, Theoretical, Neoplasms, Palliative Care, Urban Population, Qualitative Research
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