Evaluating Perspectives on Empathy in Anesthesiology Trainees: A Mixed-Methods Study of Pre-Anesthesia Encounters

Patients found male trainees and trainees earlier in training to display higher levels of empathy which differed from observer ratings. Qualitative evaluation may offer insights into our understanding of patient-perceived empathy in anesthesiology trainees. The discrepancy between patient, trainee, and observer ratings suggests that perceived empathy in anesthesiology pre-anesthesia interviews may be driven by different factors than in other specialties, particularly information exchange and efficiency of communication.