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Lisa J. Merlo, PhD

	Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text and any section headings.

The article by Morse et al¹ titled "Missed Opportunities for Interval Empathy in Lung Cancer Communication" addressed an interesting and important topic in medical care. The researchers examined empathic opportunity statements made by patients and the responses provided by their physicians, as well as racial differences in empathy responses. Physician-provided empathy can have a significant impact on patients' experiences with the health care system and influence their adherence to medical recommendations.² Unfortunately, on their review of patient-physician interactions, the results indicated that physicians met only 10% of empathic opportunities. There were no differences in empathy responses related to the race of the patient.

The authors nicely contextualized their study within the framework of patient care; however, more information is needed to adequately evaluate and understand the results. For example, only 20 of 137 possible transcripts were selected for inclusion, and no rationale was given for the . . . [Full Text of this Article]

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RELATED LETTERS

Missed Opportunities for Interval Empathy in Lung Cancer Communication
Diane S. Morse, Elizabeth A. Edwardsen, and Howard S. Gordon
Arch Intern Med. 2008;168(17):1853-1858.
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More Data Needed Regarding Physician Empathy and Patient Outcome—Reply
Diane S. Morse, Elizabeth A. Edwardsen, and Howard S. Gordon
Arch Intern Med. 2009;169(8):809-810.
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