Ethnicity and clinical empathy in primary care consultations: a web-based experiment

Clinical empathy may enhance patient satisfaction and health outcomes. The interaction between ethnicity and clinical empathy is underexplored.

To compare how people from different ethnicities perceive GPs' communication of clinical empathy.

A 2 (consultation style) x4 (participant ethnicity) web-based experiment using film vignettes in the UK.

In total, 274 UK Black British, White, East Asian, and South Asian adults (50% female; mean age 39.7 years), recruited from an online participant pool, were randomly assigned to watch one of two films showing enacted GP consultations for osteoarthritis: enhanced consultation (high empathy) or standard consultation (limited empathy). Participants' perceptions of clinical empathy were assessed quantitatively and qualitatively.

Across the whole sample and within all four ethnicities, enhanced consultations were rated as more empathic than standard consultations; there were no significant effects of participant ethnicity on ratings of empathy. Bayesian analysis confirmed an effect of consultation style and indicated there were no differences between ethnicities in ratings of clinical empathy. Qualitative comments talked about the doctor: (not) showing interest in the patient; responding with(out) respect; (not) conveying warmth, empathy, and hope; and (not) clearly explaining management options or clinical decisions. Participants of all four ethnicities commented on similar aspects of the enhanced and standard consultations.

In this well-controlled experiment, the empathic communication skills modelled in the enhanced consultation were interpreted similarly positively by UK adults of Black British, White, East Asian, and South Asian ethnicities. Core elements of clinical empathy appear relevant and similarly valued across these ethnic groups.