WJC08 Session 2 - How Do Palliative Patients Experience Sympathy, Empathy and Compassion? Using Grounded Theory Methodology

Description:

Overview:
Compassion has long been considered an essential part of chaplain care and practice. Understanding how compassion is both distinct from and congruent with sympathy and empathy, and parsing their often overlapping use in medical literature, can be challenges facing the researcher and the professional chaplain. In this webinar we discuss advanced cancer patients’ understandings, experiences, and preferences around “compassion”, “empathy”, and “sympathy” in order to explore both clinical implications and how greater conceptual clarity can aid in chaplaincy research. In the paper we will discuss patients described sympathy as an unwanted, provider-focused response to suffering, empathy as an attempt to understand another’s suffering, and compassion as an enhanced and desired form of empathy motivated by altruism. The authors report that patient’s prefer compassion over both empathy and sympathy, and although these concepts can be interrelated patients experience them as distinct and unique from one another.

Learning Objectives:

• To become familiar with adult palliative patients’ understanding of “sympathy,” “empathy,” and “compassion” and how these concepts can be both distinct and interrelated
• To examine patient preferences in regard to these concepts as practiced by providers
• To help chaplains develop and maintain research literacy, including the ability to critically read a qualitative paper using grounded-theory methodology and, where appropriate, apply the findings to their professional practice

Reading:
Sinclair, Shane, Kate Beamer, Thomas F Hack, Susan McClement, Shelley Raffin Bouchal, Harvey M Chochinov, and Neil A. Hagen. “Sympathy, Empathy, and Compassion: A Grounded Theory Study of Palliative Care Patients’ Understandings, Experiences, and Preferences.” Palliative Medicine 31, no. 5 (May 1, 2017): 437–47

Presenters:
Rev. Marilyn J. D. Barnes MS MA MPH BCC, is a Vice President of Mission and Spiritual Care in the Advocate Aurora Health Care System in Illinois. She previously served as a Senior Staff Chaplain at Advocate Lutheran General Hospital. She is a 2018 Transforming Chaplaincy Fellow graduate. Her research interests include the use of simulation in chaplaincy training and education, the impact of spiritual/religious coping on the association between discrimination and stress among midlife women, and the experiences of health care chaplains of color.

Cate Michelle Desjardins MDiv MPH, is the Executive Director of Mennonite Healthcare Fellowship and convener of the Pediatrics Spiritual Care Research Network. She previously served for five years in various roles at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center. Her research interests include the role of religion in surrogate decision-making and in coping with caregiving for children with complex medical needs. She completed the Transforming Chaplaincy Research Fellowship in 2019.

Rev. Shelley Varner-Perez MDiv MPH BCC CPH, is Senior Program Manager and Chaplain-Researcher at Indiana University (IU) Health, Indianapolis, as well as an Affiliated Research Scientist in the Center for Aging Research with the Regenstrief Institute. She previously served nine years as a chaplain at VA Portland Health Care System in Portland, Oregon. She completed the Transforming Chaplaincy Research Fellowship in 2019 at the conclusion of a Master of Public Health degree in Epidemiology. Her research interests include spiritual care with family surrogate decision-makers and staff support following code blue events, as well as using art to engage those who are non-religious/unaffiliated.

How It Works:
When you purchase this recording, you will receive a link to access the recording. There will also be a link to access in the My Downloads and Links section of your APC profile.