{"id":"https://openalex.org/W7142032812","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41746-026-02574-w","title":"The risk of empty empathy talk and challenges of automated empathy in healthcare communication","display_name":"The risk of empty empathy talk and challenges of automated empathy in healthcare communication","publication_year":2026,"publication_date":"2026-03-28","ids":{"openalex":"https://openalex.org/W7142032812","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41746-026-02574-w","pmid":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41904237"},"language":"en","primary_location":{"id":"doi:10.1038/s41746-026-02574-w","is_oa":true,"landing_page_url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41746-026-02574-w","pdf_url":null,"source":{"id":"https://openalex.org/S4210195431","display_name":"npj Digital Medicine","issn_l":"2398-6352","issn":["2398-6352"],"is_oa":true,"is_in_doaj":true,"is_core":true,"host_organization":"https://openalex.org/P4310319908","host_organization_name":"Nature Portfolio","host_organization_lineage":["https://openalex.org/P4310319908","https://openalex.org/P4310319965"],"host_organization_lineage_names":["Nature Portfolio","Springer Nature"],"type":"journal"},"license":"cc-by-nc-nd","license_id":"https://openalex.org/licenses/cc-by-nc-nd","version":"publishedVersion","is_accepted":true,"is_published":true,"raw_source_name":"npj Digital Medicine","raw_type":"journal-article"},"type":"article","indexed_in":["crossref","doaj","pubmed"],"open_access":{"is_oa":true,"oa_status":"gold","oa_url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41746-026-02574-w","any_repository_has_fulltext":true},"authorships":[{"author_position":"first","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5083881571","display_name":"Elisabeth Assing Hvidt","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3762-8478"},"institutions":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/I177969490","display_name":"University of Southern Denmark","ror":"https://ror.org/03yrrjy16","country_code":"DK","type":"education","lineage":["https://openalex.org/I177969490"]}],"countries":["DK"],"is_corresponding":true,"raw_author_name":"Elisabeth Assing Hvidt","raw_affiliation_strings":["Department of Public Health, Research Unit of General Practice, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark. ehvidt@health.sdu.dk"],"raw_orcid":null,"affiliations":[{"raw_affiliation_string":"Department of Public Health, Research Unit of General Practice, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark. ehvidt@health.sdu.dk","institution_ids":["https://openalex.org/I177969490"]}]},{"author_position":"middle","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5052320705","display_name":"Patrick Cairns","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7515-9687"},"institutions":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/I184942183","display_name":"University of Oslo","ror":"https://ror.org/01xtthb56","country_code":"NO","type":"education","lineage":["https://openalex.org/I184942183"]}],"countries":["NO"],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Patrick Cairns","raw_affiliation_strings":["Department of Behavoural Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway"],"raw_orcid":null,"affiliations":[{"raw_affiliation_string":"Department of Behavoural Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway","institution_ids":["https://openalex.org/I184942183"]}]},{"author_position":"last","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5129520605","display_name":"Line Maria Simonsen","orcid":null},"institutions":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/I177969490","display_name":"University of Southern Denmark","ror":"https://ror.org/03yrrjy16","country_code":"DK","type":"education","lineage":["https://openalex.org/I177969490"]}],"countries":["DK"],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Line Maria Simonsen","raw_affiliation_strings":["Department of Public Health, Research Unit of General Practice, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark"],"raw_orcid":null,"affiliations":[{"raw_affiliation_string":"Department of Public Health, Research Unit of General Practice, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark","institution_ids":["https://openalex.org/I177969490"]}]}],"institutions":[],"countries_distinct_count":2,"institutions_distinct_count":3,"corresponding_author_ids":["https://openalex.org/A5083881571"],"corresponding_institution_ids":["https://openalex.org/I177969490"],"apc_list":{"value":3060,"currency":"USD","value_usd":3060},"apc_paid":{"value":3060,"currency":"USD","value_usd":3060},"fwci":13.0597,"has_fulltext":true,"cited_by_count":1,"citation_normalized_percentile":{"value":0.98019764,"is_in_top_1_percent":false,"is_in_top_10_percent":true},"cited_by_percentile_year":{"min":95,"max":98},"biblio":{"volume":"9","issue":"1","first_page":null,"last_page":null},"is_retracted":false,"is_paratext":false,"is_xpac":false,"primary_topic":{"id":"https://openalex.org/T11999","display_name":"Empathy and Medical Education","score":0.4108999967575073,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/2738","display_name":"Psychiatry and Mental health"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/27","display_name":"Medicine"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/4","display_name":"Health Sciences"}},"topics":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/T11999","display_name":"Empathy and Medical Education","score":0.4108999967575073,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/2738","display_name":"Psychiatry and Mental health"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/27","display_name":"Medicine"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/4","display_name":"Health Sciences"}},{"id":"https://openalex.org/T11636","display_name":"Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare and Education","score":0.06379999965429306,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/2718","display_name":"Health Informatics"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/27","display_name":"Medicine"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/4","display_name":"Health Sciences"}},{"id":"https://openalex.org/T11519","display_name":"Digital Mental Health Interventions","score":0.060499999672174454,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/3202","display_name":"Applied Psychology"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/32","display_name":"Psychology"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/2","display_name":"Social Sciences"}}],"keywords":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/empathy","display_name":"Empathy","score":0.9710000157356262},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/health-care","display_name":"Health care","score":0.5692999958992004},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/embodied-cognition","display_name":"Embodied cognition","score":0.5231000185012817},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/quality","display_name":"Quality (philosophy)","score":0.5135999917984009},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/patient-care","display_name":"Patient care","score":0.33250001072883606},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/simulation-theory-of-empathy","display_name":"Simulation theory of empathy","score":0.32249999046325684}],"concepts":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2779885105","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q182263","display_name":"Empathy","level":2,"score":0.9710000157356262},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C15744967","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q9418","display_name":"Psychology","level":0,"score":0.6931999921798706},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C160735492","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q31207","display_name":"Health care","level":2,"score":0.5692999958992004},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C100609095","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1335050","display_name":"Embodied cognition","level":2,"score":0.5231000185012817},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2779530757","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1207505","display_name":"Quality (philosophy)","level":2,"score":0.5135999917984009},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C77805123","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q161272","display_name":"Social psychology","level":1,"score":0.4503999948501587},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2989236134","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q31207","display_name":"Patient care","level":2,"score":0.33250001072883606},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C190264587","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q861691","display_name":"Simulation theory of empathy","level":3,"score":0.32249999046325684},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C75630572","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q538904","display_name":"Applied psychology","level":1,"score":0.31949999928474426},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2778251646","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q5373833","display_name":"Empathic concern","level":4,"score":0.31679999828338623},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2780138299","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q3404265","display_name":"Privilege (computing)","level":2,"score":0.29120001196861267},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2779951463","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7268788","display_name":"Quality of life (healthcare)","level":2,"score":0.2786000072956085},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2778080475","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q4353774","display_name":"Health communication","level":2,"score":0.2782999873161316},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C164850336","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q3685487","display_name":"Interpersonal communication","level":2,"score":0.2777999937534332},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C180747234","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q23373","display_name":"Cognitive psychology","level":1,"score":0.2720000147819519},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2780860654","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7144993","display_name":"Patient-centered care","level":3,"score":0.2671000063419342},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C108827166","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q175975","display_name":"Internet privacy","level":1,"score":0.2572999894618988}],"mesh":[],"locations_count":5,"locations":[{"id":"doi:10.1038/s41746-026-02574-w","is_oa":true,"landing_page_url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41746-026-02574-w","pdf_url":null,"source":{"id":"https://openalex.org/S4210195431","display_name":"npj Digital Medicine","issn_l":"2398-6352","issn":["2398-6352"],"is_oa":true,"is_in_doaj":true,"is_core":true,"host_organization":"https://openalex.org/P4310319908","host_organization_name":"Nature Portfolio","host_organization_lineage":["https://openalex.org/P4310319908","https://openalex.org/P4310319965"],"host_organization_lineage_names":["Nature Portfolio","Springer Nature"],"type":"journal"},"license":"cc-by-nc-nd","license_id":"https://openalex.org/licenses/cc-by-nc-nd","version":"publishedVersion","is_accepted":true,"is_published":true,"raw_source_name":"npj Digital Medicine","raw_type":"journal-article"},{"id":"pmid:41904237","is_oa":false,"landing_page_url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41904237","pdf_url":null,"source":{"id":"https://openalex.org/S4306525036","display_name":"PubMed","issn_l":null,"issn":null,"is_oa":false,"is_in_doaj":false,"is_core":false,"host_organization":"https://openalex.org/I1299303238","host_organization_name":"National Institutes of Health","host_organization_lineage":["https://openalex.org/I1299303238"],"host_organization_lineage_names":[],"type":"repository"},"license":null,"license_id":null,"version":"publishedVersion","is_accepted":true,"is_published":true,"raw_source_name":"NPJ digital medicine","raw_type":null},{"id":"pmh:oai:sdu.dk:openaire/1aaea22d-5740-4d59-9470-f1af2140efe1","is_oa":false,"landing_page_url":"https://portal.findresearcher.sdu.dk/da/publications/1aaea22d-5740-4d59-9470-f1af2140efe1","pdf_url":null,"source":{"id":"https://openalex.org/S4306400423","display_name":"University of Southern Denmark Research Portal (University of Southern Denmark)","issn_l":null,"issn":null,"is_oa":false,"is_in_doaj":false,"is_core":false,"host_organization":"https://openalex.org/I177969490","host_organization_name":"University of Southern Denmark","host_organization_lineage":["https://openalex.org/I177969490"],"host_organization_lineage_names":[],"type":"repository"},"license":null,"license_id":null,"version":"publishedVersion","is_accepted":true,"is_published":true,"raw_source_name":"Assing Hvidt, E, Cairns, P & Simonsen, L M 2026, 'The risk of empty empathy talk and challenges of automated empathy in healthcare communication', NPJ digital medicine, vol. 9, no. 1, 391. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41746-026-02574-w","raw_type":"info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion"},{"id":"pmh:oai:doaj.org/article:2725dfbd86bd403581637cccb068eaa1","is_oa":true,"landing_page_url":"https://doaj.org/article/2725dfbd86bd403581637cccb068eaa1","pdf_url":null,"source":{"id":"https://openalex.org/S4306401280","display_name":"DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals)","issn_l":null,"issn":null,"is_oa":false,"is_in_doaj":false,"is_core":false,"host_organization":null,"host_organization_name":null,"host_organization_lineage":[],"host_organization_lineage_names":[],"type":"repository"},"license":"cc-by-sa","license_id":"https://openalex.org/licenses/cc-by-sa","version":"submittedVersion","is_accepted":false,"is_published":false,"raw_source_name":"npj Digital Medicine, Vol 9, Iss 1 (2026)","raw_type":"article"},{"id":"pmh:oai:pubmedcentral.nih.gov:13194688","is_oa":true,"landing_page_url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC13194688/","pdf_url":null,"source":{"id":"https://openalex.org/S2764455111","display_name":"PubMed Central","issn_l":null,"issn":null,"is_oa":true,"is_in_doaj":false,"is_core":false,"host_organization":"https://openalex.org/I1299303238","host_organization_name":"National Institutes of Health","host_organization_lineage":["https://openalex.org/I1299303238"],"host_organization_lineage_names":[],"type":"repository"},"license":"other-oa","license_id":"https://openalex.org/licenses/other-oa","version":"submittedVersion","is_accepted":false,"is_published":false,"raw_source_name":"NPJ Digit Med","raw_type":"Text"}],"best_oa_location":{"id":"doi:10.1038/s41746-026-02574-w","is_oa":true,"landing_page_url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41746-026-02574-w","pdf_url":null,"source":{"id":"https://openalex.org/S4210195431","display_name":"npj Digital Medicine","issn_l":"2398-6352","issn":["2398-6352"],"is_oa":true,"is_in_doaj":true,"is_core":true,"host_organization":"https://openalex.org/P4310319908","host_organization_name":"Nature Portfolio","host_organization_lineage":["https://openalex.org/P4310319908","https://openalex.org/P4310319965"],"host_organization_lineage_names":["Nature Portfolio","Springer Nature"],"type":"journal"},"license":"cc-by-nc-nd","license_id":"https://openalex.org/licenses/cc-by-nc-nd","version":"publishedVersion","is_accepted":true,"is_published":true,"raw_source_name":"npj Digital Medicine","raw_type":"journal-article"},"sustainable_development_goals":[{"score":0.8177266716957092,"display_name":"Quality Education","id":"https://metadata.un.org/sdg/4"}],"awards":[],"funders":[],"has_content":{"pdf":false,"grobid_xml":false},"content_urls":null,"referenced_works_count":35,"referenced_works":["https://openalex.org/W13122474","https://openalex.org/W1968697026","https://openalex.org/W2027508313","https://openalex.org/W2100545904","https://openalex.org/W2127559536","https://openalex.org/W2158480578","https://openalex.org/W2801271640","https://openalex.org/W2807857131","https://openalex.org/W2903758509","https://openalex.org/W2908609498","https://openalex.org/W2998923272","https://openalex.org/W3012570821","https://openalex.org/W3040892982","https://openalex.org/W4225550145","https://openalex.org/W4252272959","https://openalex.org/W4309164927","https://openalex.org/W4317888439","https://openalex.org/W4367285270","https://openalex.org/W4367310920","https://openalex.org/W4386304987","https://openalex.org/W4391293390","https://openalex.org/W4391883991","https://openalex.org/W4393077960","https://openalex.org/W4396977150","https://openalex.org/W4402825100","https://openalex.org/W4403028548","https://openalex.org/W4403583423","https://openalex.org/W4405815120","https://openalex.org/W4406250108","https://openalex.org/W4409557096","https://openalex.org/W4410659767","https://openalex.org/W4411363040","https://openalex.org/W4412140337","https://openalex.org/W4415407986","https://openalex.org/W4417119551"],"related_works":[],"abstract_inverted_index":{"Recent":[0],"studies":[1],"indicate":[2],"that":[3],"large":[4],"language":[5],"models":[6],"outperform":[7],"humans":[8],"in":[9,46,56],"empathic":[10,40],"performance":[11],"within":[12],"text-based":[13],"healthcare":[14,58],"communication.":[15],"Yet,":[16],"promoting":[17],"automated":[18,35],"empathy":[19,23,36,55],"risks":[20],"fostering":[21],"\"empty":[22],"talk\"-language":[24],"devoid":[25],"of":[26],"relational":[27,44],"depth":[28],"and":[29,42],"embodied":[30],"meaning.":[31],"Uncritical":[32],"reliance":[33],"on":[34],"may":[37],"weaken":[38],"clinicians'":[39],"skills":[41],"impair":[43],"quality":[45],"patient":[47],"care,":[48],"underscoring":[49],"the":[50],"need":[51],"to":[52],"safeguard":[53],"authentic":[54],"future":[57],"through":[59],"reflective":[60],"strategies.":[61]},"counts_by_year":[{"year":2026,"cited_by_count":1}],"updated_date":"2026-06-17T08:01:34.144755","created_date":"2026-03-29T00:00:00"}