Characteristics associated with empathic behavior in Japanese oncologists.

OBJECTIVE Oncologists must have empathy when breaking bad news to patients who have incurable advanced cancer, and the level of empathy often depends on various individual characteristics. This study aimed to clarify the relationship between these characteristics and empathic behavior in Japanese oncologists. METHODS We videotaped consultations in which oncologists conveyed news of incurable advanced cancer to simulated patients. Oncologists' empathetic behaviors were coded, and regression analysis was performed to determine the existence of any relationships with factors such as age, sex, and specialism. RESULTS Sixty oncologists participated. In a multivariate model, only age was related to the empathy score (r=0.406, p=0.033); younger oncologists scored higher than did older oncologists. CONCLUSIONS We found that empathic behaviors were more frequent in younger oncologists. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS This information could be useful in determining the best approach for implementing future empathy and communication training programs for experienced oncologists in Japanese medical institutions.