Interprofessional Intentional Empathy Centered Care (IP-IECC) in healthcare practice: A grounded theory study

Training interprofessional healthcare teams continues to advance practice for patient-centered care. Empathy research is also advancing and has been explored in social work, psychology, and other healthcare areas. However, in the absence of understanding empathy in an interprofessional setting, educators are limited in preparing teams to develop empathy as part of core competencies. This grounded theory study explored how interprofessional healthcare teams conceptualize and operationalize empathy in their practice. Data were collected using six focus groups and 24 semi-structured interviews with healthcare professionals working in an interprofessional setting in Ontario, Canada. A grounded theory of interprofessional intentional empathy center care can be used to explain the conceptualization and operationalization of empathy in practice. Findings showed that collective empathy in an interprofessional team model contributes to improved patient outcomes. Furthermore, empathy is not accidental and must be cultivated through intentional and genuine team experiences. This study can be used to more effectively integrate empathy in interprofessional healthcare education and praxis.