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The effect of surgeon empathy and emotional intelligence on patient satisfaction

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Abstract

We investigated the associations of surgeons’ emotional intelligence and surgeons’ empathy with patient-surgeon relationships, patient perceptions of their health, and patient satisfaction before and after surgical procedures. We used multi-source approaches to survey 50 surgeons and their 549 outpatients during initial and follow-up visits. Surgeons’ emotional intelligence had a positive effect (r = .45; p < .001) on patient-rated patient-surgeon relationships. Patient-surgeon relationships had a positive impact on patient satisfaction before surgery (r = .95; p < .001). Surgeon empathy did not have an effect on patient-surgeon relationships or patient satisfaction prior to surgery. But after surgery, surgeon empathy appeared to have a significantly positive and indirect effect on patient satisfaction through the mediating effect of patients’ self-reported health status (r = .21; p < .001). Our study showed that long-term patient satisfaction with their surgeons is affected less by emotional intelligence than by empathy. Furthermore, empathy indirectly affects patient satisfaction through its positive effect on health outcomes, which have a direct effect on patients’ satisfaction with their surgeons.

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Acknowledgments

This study was funded in part by the Taiwan National Science Council (NSC97-2745-H-214-004-HPU-1-005; NSC 98-2628-S-214-001-MY3).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Health Management, I-Shou University, Kaohsiung County, Taiwan

    Hui-Ching Weng

  2. Department of Western Languages and Literature, University of Kaohsiung, Kaohsiung County, Taiwan

    James F. Steed

  3. Department of Orthopedics, E-Da Hospital, Kaohsiung County, Taiwan

    Shang-Won Yu

  4. Department of Plastic Surgery, E-Da Hospital, Kaohsiung County, Taiwan

    Yi-Ten Liu

  5. Department of Gastroenterology, E-Da Hospital, Kaohsiung County, Taiwan

    Chia-Chang Hsu

  6. Department of Urology, E-Da Hospital, Kaohsiung County, Taiwan

    Tsan-Jung Yu

  7. Department of Nursing, I-Shou University, Kaohsiung County, Taiwan

    Tsan-Jung Yu

  8. Department of Gastroenterology, E-Da Hospital, Kaohsiung County, Taiwan

    Wency Chen

  9. Department of Healthcare Administration, I-Shou University, Kaohsiung County, Taiwan

    Wency Chen

  10. Healthcare Management Department, I-Shou University, 8, Yida Road, Yanchao Township, Kaohsiung County, 82445, Taiwan

    Wency Chen

Authors
  1. Hui-Ching Weng
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  2. James F. Steed
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  3. Shang-Won Yu
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  4. Yi-Ten Liu
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  5. Chia-Chang Hsu
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  6. Tsan-Jung Yu
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  7. Wency Chen
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Correspondence to Wency Chen.

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Weng, HC., Steed, J.F., Yu, SW. et al. The effect of surgeon empathy and emotional intelligence on patient satisfaction. Adv in Health Sci Educ 16, 591–600 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10459-011-9278-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10459-011-9278-3

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