Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine
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Meta Analysis
Effects of empathic and positive communication in healthcare consultations: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Background Practitioners who enhance how they express empathy and create positive expectations of benefit could improve patient outcomes. However, the evidence in this area has not been recently synthesised. Objective To estimate the effects of empathy and expectations interventions for any clinical condition. ⋯ Conclusions Greater practitioner empathy or communication of positive messages can have small patient benefits for a range of clinical conditions, especially pain. Protocol registration Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews (protocol) DOI: 10.1002/14651858. CD011934.pub2.