Evidence map›Paper›PMID 22316293›Full record

ArticleBMC family practice2012

Patient enablement requires physician empathy: a cross-sectional study of general practice consultations in areas of high and low socioeconomic deprivation in Scotland.

Stewart W Mercer, Bhautesh D Jani, Margaret Maxwell, Samuel Y S Wong, Graham C M Watt

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in BMC family practice, 2012. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 69 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
69citing papers in PubMed, 3 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

69 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

  1. Personal GP continuity improves healthcare outcomes in primary care populations: a systematic review.The British journal of general practice : the journal of the Royal College of General Practitioners · 2025
    Pooled it
  2. Effectiveness, feasibility, and acceptability of behaviour change tools used by family doctors: a global systematic review.The British journal of general practice : the journal of the Royal College of General Practitioners · 2023
    Pooled it
  3. Pooled it
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  10. Multimorbidity and person-centred care in a socioeconomically deprived community: a qualitative study.The British journal of general practice : the journal of the Royal College of General Practitioners · 2024
    Article
  11. Primary care transformation in Scotland: a qualitative evaluation of the views of patients.The British journal of general practice : the journal of the Royal College of General Practitioners · 2024
    Article
  12. Article
  13. Article
  14. Patients' experiences of GP consultations following the introduction of the new GP contract in Scotland: a cross-sectional survey.The British journal of general practice : the journal of the Royal College of General Practitioners · 2024
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9 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors.

Stewart W MercerGeneral Practice and Primary Care, Institute of Health and Wellbeing, University of Glasgow, 1 Horselethill Road, Glasgow, UK. stewart.mercer@glasgow.ac.uk
Bhautesh D Jani
Margaret Maxwell
Samuel Y S Wong
Graham C M Watt

Funding

Chief Scientist Office NMAHP1
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundPatient 'enablement' is a term closely aligned with 'empowerment' and its measurement in a general practice consultation has been operationalised in the widely used patient enablement instrument (PEI), a patient-rated measure of consultation outcome. However, there is limited knowledge regarding the factors that influence enablement, particularly the effect of socio-economic deprivation. The aim of the study is to assess the factors influencing patient enablement in GP consultations in areas of high and low deprivation.

methodsA questionnaire study was carried out on 3,044 patients attending 26 GPs (16 in areas of high socio-economic deprivation and 10 in low deprivation areas, in the west of Scotland). Patient expectation (confidence that the doctor would be able to help) was recorded prior to the consultation. PEI, GP empathy (measured by the CARE Measure), and a range of other measures and variables were recorded after the consultation. Data analysis employed multi-level modelling and multivariate analyses with the PEI as the dependant variable.

resultsAlthough numerous variables showed a univariate association with patient enablement, only four factors were independently predictive after multilevel multivariate analysis; patients with multimorbidity of 3 or more long-term conditions (reflecting poor chronic general health), and those consulting about a long-standing problem had reduced enablement scores in both affluent and deprived areas. In deprived areas, emotional distress (GHQ-caseness) had an additional negative effect on enablement. Perceived GP empathy had a positive effect on enablement in both affluent and deprived areas. Maximal patient enablement was never found with low empathy.

conclusionsAlthough other factors influence patient enablement, the patients' perceptions of the doctors' empathy is of key importance in patient enablement in general practice consultations in both high and low deprivation settings.

Indexed as

Attitude to HealthEmpathyFamily PracticePatient SatisfactionPhysician-Patient RelationsAdultCross-Sectional StudiesFemaleHealth Services Needs and DemandHumansMaleMiddle AgedOutcome Assessment, Health CareReferral and ConsultationReproducibility of ResultsScotland

Identifiers

PMID22316293
PMCPMC3329411

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.