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Impact of physician empathy on migraine disability and migraineur compliance
Hatim S Attar1, Srinath Chandramani
1Department of Medicine, K. J. Somaiya Medical College and Research Center, Somaiya Ayurvihar Complex, Sion, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India.
Aims:
We aim to establish the role that perceived physician empathy plays in determining migraineurs' outcomes and compliance with migraine management plans. We checked for associations between perceived physician empathy and clinical outcomes as well as compliance with management plans.
Materials And Methods:
63 migraineurs were enrolled between July and September 2011. Questionnaire administered at the time of inclusion into the study included self-assessment of disability due to migraine (Migraine Disability Assessment Test) followed by migraineurs' assessment of physician empathy (Consultation and Relational Empathy Measure). Three months later, a telephonic questionnaire ascertained changes in disability due to migraine and compliance with migraine treatment.
Statistical Analysis:
Data was entered in Microsoft Excel 2010 and analyzed using SPSS 17. Pearson's correlation was employed to analyze the significance of relationship between variables. P-value of less than 0.05 has been considered statistically significant.
Results:
Statistically significant positive Pearson's correlations are seen between perceived empathy and decrease in migraine disability and symptoms over three months (P < 0.05). Significant positive relationships are also seen between perceived empathy and compliance with diet/meal timings, exercising, de-stressing/sleep pattern modification and medications (P < 0.05). Self-reported compliance is significantly correlated with improved patient outcomes (P < 0.05).
Conclusions:
Substantial positive associations are found between perceived physician empathy and migraineurs' outcomes and compliance with management plans. This emphasizes the importance of empathy in migraineur-physician communication.
Insights
Physician empathy significantly improves migraine outcomes and patient adherence to treatment plans. Enhanced communication fosters better migraine management and patient well-being.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Patient-Physician Communication
- Health Psychology
Background:
- Migraine is a debilitating neurological condition impacting millions worldwide.
- Effective migraine management requires patient adherence to complex treatment plans.
- The role of physician empathy in influencing patient outcomes for chronic conditions like migraine is under-explored.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between perceived physician empathy and clinical outcomes in migraine patients.
- To determine the impact of physician empathy on patient compliance with migraine management strategies.
Main Methods:
- A cohort of 63 migraineurs completed validated questionnaires assessing disability and perceived physician empathy (Consultation and Relational Empathy Measure).
- Follow-up assessments evaluated changes in migraine disability and treatment compliance after three months.
- Pearson's correlation analysis was used to examine relationships between variables, with statistical significance set at P < 0.05.
Main Results:
- A significant positive correlation was observed between higher perceived physician empathy and reduced migraine disability and symptoms over three months (P < 0.05).
- Perceived empathy was also positively associated with improved compliance in dietary modifications, exercise, stress reduction, sleep hygiene, and medication adherence (P < 0.05).
- Self-reported patient compliance demonstrated a significant correlation with enhanced clinical outcomes (P < 0.05).
Conclusions:
- Perceived physician empathy is substantially linked to improved patient outcomes and adherence in migraine management.
- These findings underscore the critical importance of empathetic communication in the physician-migraineur relationship for optimizing treatment success.
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