Empathy in wound care: a scoping review protocol

Aim This scoping review aims to map current literature relating to the role of empathy in the provision of wound care and its potential benefits to health professionals and patients. It seeks to provide a comprehensive overview of how empathy may influence the patient/clinician dynamic, patient wellbeing, patient engagement, adherence, pain management and treatment outcomes, including wound healing. Barriers to providing empathetic care will also be considered. Method Following the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) methodology and the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) guidelines, this review will map existing literature on empathy in wound care. We will search the following electronic databases: MEDLINE, CINAHL, Embase, Scopus & APA PsycINFO, using an agreed search strategy co-designed with a specialist university librarian. Data from included studies will be extracted thematically using a standardised form. Potential themes include the role of empathy on the patient-clinician relationship, the influence of empathy in wound care and the barriers healthcare providers face in delivering empathetic care and how these challenges affect both emotional and clinical aspects of patient care. A narrative synthesis will summarise the findings. Discussion This review will assist healthcare professionals and policymakers better understand the role and potential impact of empathy in wound care. By highlighting the importance of empathetic, person-centred approaches, it may encourage the inclusion of these aspects in guiding the development of wound care strategies and health professionals' education. Furthermore, this review will identify existing research gaps, promoting further studies into how empathy can be effectively integrated into clinical practice to enhance person centred care.