The Effectiveness of C*A*R*E Training in Increasing Empathy

Demands facing healthcare providers include heavy caseloads, limited control over work environment, and changes in reimbursement lead to systems in transition and provider stress. Other conditions of increasing stress and symptoms of burnout as self-reported by clinicians include apathy. Lack of empathy affects the quality of patient care. Lack of empathy is a symptom or a red flag to burnout. Rising burnout rates correspond with rising suicide rates among providers. Compassionate Aging: Reimagining Empathy (C*A*R*E) is an empathy-raising experience regarding the unique challenges faced by an aging patient population. This paper empirically examines the effectiveness of C*A*R*E in promoting empathy among healthcare providers. The program uses an escape room-type experience in which participants adopt personas with challenges associated with aging. The participants perform daily tasks with simulated impairments. Pre and post surveys show significant effects on participants’ likelihood to help patients and feeling that they can relate to them. Keywords: Burnout, Compassion Fatigue, Mindfulness, Empathy