Impact of face masks on empathy and communication in head and neck cancer patients: a case-control study
Wearing face masks does not significantly impair perceived empathy in the context of physician-patient communication. Familiarity with the clinician emerged as a key factor in enhancing the quality of the interaction. These findings underscore the importance of fostering long-term, trust-based physician-patient relationships, particularly during periods of pandemic-related protective measures such as mask mandates.
Authors
- Nikolaus von Hahn (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4069-8023)
- Georg Hoene (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1025-6758)
- Boris Schminke (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8520-9481)
- Martin Leu (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3883-6837)
- Susanne Wolfer (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4134-2301)
- Henning Schliephake (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2008-7188)
- Kathi Goldstein (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0001-5790-8349)
- Tim Mathea
Institutions
- University of Göttingen (DE)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Frontiers in Oncology
- Published
- 2025-03-07
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.3389/fonc.2025.1539070
- Citations
- 1
- Primary Topic
- Empathy and Medical Education
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 1.47