The Impact of Emergency Physician Empathy on Litigation Propensity

Study Overview
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Brief Summary
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The purpose of this study is to observe whether people would report being less likely to sue a physician who shows more empathy when giving a patient potentially bad news regarding their medical condition.

Detailed Description
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The investigators hypothesized that patients will have less propensity to sue emergency physicians after a poor outcome if the physician demonstrated empathy by verbalizing that they recognize the patient is concerned about their symptoms, and that the patient knows their typical state of health better than a physician seeing them for the first time. Accordingly, the investigators will assess whether the presence or absence of emergency physician empathetic statements in videotaped simulated encounters will alter patient propensity towards litigation. Secondary objectives are to assess whether the presence or absence of empathetic statements alters patient perceptions of discharge instruction clarity, physician expertness, physician caring, and physician desirability.

Official Title
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The Impact of Emergency Physician Empathy on Litigation Propensity

Conditions
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Empathy

Participation Criteria
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Eligibility Criteria
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Inclusion Criteria: Emergency Room Patient Exclusion Criteria: Non-English speaking Not healthy enough to be in waiting room

Ages Eligible for Study
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Minimum Age: 18 Years

Sexes Eligible for Study
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All

Accepts Healthy Volunteers
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Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Study Plan
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How is the study designed?
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Arms and Interventions

| Participant Group/Arm | Intervention/Treatment |
| --- | --- |
| Emergency Room Patients<br> | |

What is the study measuring?
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Primary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Intention to sue | This outcome will be assessed by asking Would you sue this doctor? after viewing a short video. Items will be measured on a 5-point scale (1=Definitely no to 5=Definitely yes). | Immediately after viewing | 

Secondary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Assessment of physician expertise | This outcome will be assessed by asking Do you believe this physician is an expert? after viewing a short video. Items will be measured on a 5-point scale (1=Definitely no to 5=Definitely yes). | Immediately after viewing | 
| Assessment of physician caring | This outcome will be assessed by asking Do you think this doctor cared about the patient? after viewing a short video. Items will be measured on a 5-point scale (1=Definitely no to 5=Definitely yes). | Immediately after viewing | 
| Assessment of whether subject would want to be physician's patient | This outcome will be assessed by asking Would you want this physician as your doctor? after viewing a short video. Items will be measured on a 5-point scale (1=Definitely no to 5=Definitely yes). | Immediately after viewing | 
| Assessment of clarity of physician instructions | This outcome will be assessed by asking Did you understand the instructions the doctor gave the patient? after viewing a short video. Items will be measured on a 5-point scale (1=Definitely no to 5=Definitely yes). | Immediatley after viewing | 

 Terms related to the study
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Keywords Provided by Centre Hospitalier Valida
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Empathy, Communication, Physician litigation