Digital clinical empathy in a live chat: multiple findings from a formative qualitative study and usability tests
Hanna Luetke Lanfer1, Doreen Reifegerste2, Winja Weber3
1School of Public Health, Bielefeld University, Universitaetsstrasse 25, 33615, Bielefeld, Germany. hanna.luetkelanfer@uni-bielefeld.de.
BMC Health Services Research
|March 8, 2024
Summary
Digital clinical empathy in live chats requires reciprocal engagement and authenticity. Balancing professional and informal communication, along with personalized information, is key for effective patient care in digital health settings.
Area of Science:
- Digital Health
- Human-Computer Interaction
- Healthcare Communication
Background:
- Clinical empathy is vital for patient-centered care.
- Digital technology introduces new dynamics to empathy in healthcare.
- Written live chats are increasingly prevalent in healthcare interactions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore and evaluate digital clinical empathy techniques in a familial cancer live chat.
- To understand how health professionals can comprehend, communicate, and act on user perspectives and emotions in digital settings.
Main Methods:
- Qualitative approach with two research phases.
- Semi-structured interviews with health professionals (n=9).
- Focus group discussions with users (n=42) and usability tests (n=9 professionals, n=18 users).
- Qualitative content analysis of collected data.
Main Results:
- Users and professionals expect reciprocal engagement, timely responses, and authenticity.
- A balance between professionalism and informality is desired.
- Digital empathy involves managing personalized information and referrals effectively.
Conclusions:
- The digital environment complicates clinical empathy practice.
- Ongoing adaptation is crucial for digital empathy.
- A hybrid model integrating AI and human professionals may enhance future healthcare interactions.
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