TOPLINE:

GP empathy assessed using the Consultation and Relational Empathy (CARE) Measure was correlated with improved patient enablement, greater satisfaction, and improvement in symptoms in telephone consultations, with similar findings seen in face-to-face consultations.

METHODOLOGY:

• The CARE Measure is a validated tool for assessing GP empathy in face-to-face consultations, but its validity in telephone consultations is not known.
• This cross-sectional study using a postal survey was conducted with 1023 patients across 12 general practices in Scotland, of whom 369 had telephone consultations (mean age, 62.9 years; 64.2% women) and 654 had face-to-face consultations (mean age, 62.3 years; 54.3% women).
• Adults who consulted a GP within the last 30 days were randomly selected, and the CARE Measure was used to assess GP empathy grouped on the basis of the mode of consultation.
• Patient-reported outcomes were enablement, satisfaction, and symptom improvement, measured using specific instruments and scales.
• Associations between GP empathy (classified as low, moderate, and high depending on CARE Measure scores) and patient-reported outcomes were analysed, adjusting for patient and consultation characteristics.

TAKEAWAY:

• High GP empathy, as measured using the CARE Measure, was associated with better patient-reported outcomes in both telephone and face-to-face consultations.
• High GP empathy significantly increased patient enablement in telephone consultations (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 6.4; 95% CI, 3.5-11.9) and face-to-face consultations (aOR, 6.2; 95% CI, 3.9-9.9).
• GP empathy was a significant predictor of symptom improvement in both types of consultations (aOR, 5.7; 95% CI, 2.7-11.9 for telephone and aOR, 4.3; 95% CI, 2.5-7.2 for face-to-face consultations).
• High GP empathy was associated with higher odds of patient satisfaction in telephone consultations (aOR, 20.1; 95% CI, 8.9-45.4) and face-to-face consultations (aOR, 36.3; 95% CI, 17.9-73.8).

IN PRACTICE:

"This study highlights that GP empathy remains a key predictor of patient-reported outcomes, even in TC [telephone consultations]. Importantly, when empathy is effectively conveyed, TC can deliver outcomes comparable to face-to-face care," the authors wrote.

SOURCE:

This study was led by Kieran D. Sweeney, MBChB, Usher Institute, College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Scotland. It was published online on October 24, 2025, in the British Journal of General Practice.

LIMITATIONS:

The study's response rate was modest. The sample size might not have been sufficient to detect significant interaction effects between covariates and GP empathy on outcomes in telephone consultations.

DISCLOSURES:

This study was supported by a grant from the Economic and Social Research Council. One author reported receiving funding from the Wellcome Trust Multimorbidity PhD Programme for Health Professionals; another author reported being an academic fellow in general practice funded by the NHS Education for Scotland. The authors declared having no competing interests.

This article was created using several editorial tools, including AI, as part of the process. Human editors reviewed this content before publication.