ENGLAND — A new study ranked NHS trusts in England by an empathy score, finding correlations between higher empathy ratings and improved patient safety, staff wellbeing, and financial performance. The research evaluated trusts based on organizational culture, leadership behavior, and practitioner empathy, according to the study's design.

The study found that healthcare institutions with higher empathy ratings tended to spend less on agency staff and external consultants. Modest increases in an empathy score correlated with a higher probability of receiving a good or outstanding effectiveness and patient safety rating from the Care Quality Commission (CQC). Professor Jeremy Howick of the University of Leicester said, "More empathic organisations have better patient outcomes, staff wellbeing and financial bottom lines."

Researchers used CQC ratings, NHS staff surveys, and financial accounts to rank trusts across nine empathy areas. The staff surveys assessed whether trusts fostered an empathetic culture and if staff felt recognized. The average NHS trust empathy score was six on a scale of one to ten.

A 2.5 percent increase in the empathy score corresponded to a 76 percent greater chance of a good or excellent patient safety rating from the CQC. This same increase in empathy score corresponded to a 46 percent increase in the likelihood of a good or excellent effectiveness rating.

The study's design cannot definitively prove that increased empathy directly causes the observed benefits, as well-run trusts may naturally foster both empathy and positive outcomes. The research has been submitted to BMC Health Services Research for peer review, which means the results are provisional. Howick stated, "Our study doesn't establish causation, but if you look at the evidence in the round, it's reasonable to assert that it's likely to be causal."

Health systems researcher Professor Jeffrey Braithwaite commented on the study, saying, "The danger is that empathy becomes another slogan on a poster or another online training module." Braithwaite added, "This means staffing, workload, teamwork, psychological safety and responsiveness to patients. Wouldn't that make empathy more likely rather than merely hoped for?"