Abstract
Empathy is associated with countless benefits in clinical interactions, yet it is not always optimal in health care providers. Social neuroscience offers a window onto the cerebral processes underlying the complex relationships between the multiple components of empathy, patient care, and the caregiver's well-being. Neuroimaging studies have revealed patterns of empathy-related neural responses that shed some light on the mechanisms that could partially explain the phenomena of empathy decline and pain underestimation in health care providers. Such information, complementary to behavioral research findings, may help develop new means of improving empathy in health care, as long as interpretation of neuroimaging data remains grounded. Additionally, research on empathy in this context has largely focused on how clinicians' empathy may affect patient outcomes, but the relationship between empathy and well-being in health care providers is often neglected. The quest to optimize empathy in patient–clinician interactions must take into account the welfare of both members of this dyad.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
