Empathy
Empathy is described as a critical emotional and cognitive ability that fosters connection and understanding between individuals. It enables the sharing of experiences, emotions, and perspectives, which in turn encourages pro-social behavior. The text emphasizes the importance of empathy in medical settings, where a lack of empathy can lead to patient dissatisfaction and poorer health outcomes. It also highlights the role of cognitive empathy in overcoming biases related to race, ethnicity, religion, or physical differences in healthcare. Moreover, it stresses the need for interventions to maintain empathy in healthcare training, particularly to ensure equitable care for patients from diverse backgrounds. Lastly, the abstract calls for enhancing empathic capacities to strengthen bonds on personal, community, and global levels.
Here, empathy is portrayed as both emotional (feeling others' emotions) and cognitive (understanding or perspective-taking) and is essential for compassion and equitable treatment in society, especially in healthcare contexts.
Empathy, C. (2025). Empathy | English meaning - Cambridge Dictionary. Retrieved from: https://bit.ly/4aqXsE7
Riess, H. (2017, May 9). The Science of Empathy. Retrieved from: https://bit.ly/4jktMfR