Project Summary

Exploring the role of ‘digital empathy’ within emergent and future models of digital healthcare services such as Video Conferencing (VC) consultations, with a focus on providing care for people living with diabetes.

A number of factors have an impact on empathy, such as patient pre-conceptions and other individual characteristics, the corresponding behaviours and beliefs of the clinician, and the setting of the consultation. The aim of the Experience Labs was to explore whether people’s perception of empathy changes in a digital context, and to identify factors that are deemed important to empathic VC consultation. The findings from the Labs highlight key factors such as access to shared and meaningful data; clear verbal communication; providing choice of preferred pathways for continued care; presence of the diabetic nurse; preparation and access to information before consultation; and summary to take away afterwards as some of the key factors that have an impact on empathic VC consultation.