Compassionate Care in a Health Education Setting: A Scoping Review

Compassionate care represents a foundational value in healthcare education, essential for cultivating empathy and holistic patient engagement. Despite its recognized significance, integrating compassionate care into educational curricula remains complex. We systematically explored its conceptualization, implementation, and pedagogical strategies within health education to inform curriculum development and professional training.

Scoping review using the Arksey and O'Malley framework. Literature search in Dec 2024 in the Scopus, Emerald Insight, and Wiley Online Library databases, English publications from the last 10 years, focussing on compassionate care in health education. Flow diagram for the PRISMA review scoping shows the search and selection procedures. Tools from the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) for thematic analysis. Overall, 4,119 articles were screened, and 21 studies met the inclusion criteria.

Compassionate care enhances empathy, communication, and professional behaviour among students. Development is carried out through experiential learning, narrative reflection, clinical practice, and the role of mentors. Programs like the Kind Care Bundle and empathy training have proven effective. However, implementation faces obstacles such as academic pressure, a rigid educational culture, and a lack of communication training. A structured curriculum approach and an inclusive learning environment are necessary to sustainably cultivate compassion competence in health education.

Compassionate care is an essential component in healthcare education that contributes to the formation of empathetic attitudes and patient-centered care. The integration of compassion values into the curriculum through reflective approaches, clinical practice, and mentorship guidance is important to produce competent, humanistic healthcare professionals who are ready to face the challenges of professional practice.