Evidence that emotional competence improves patient outcomes is limited and mixed¶

Claim · All claims
Evidence · 1 study (2 entries) · review r3 · q2
Currency · newest study 2026 · not yet checked against its sources · not reviewed by a person

Subclaims¶

q2 i? Patients treated by physicians with higher global EC or empathy were more satisfied with care and displayed fewer symptoms of anxiety and depression. → Joly Louise 2026 q2 i? Direct effects of emotional regulation on patient outcomes are limited and mixed: lower anxiety in obstetricians was associated with fewer operative deliveries but also increased risks of postpartum haemorrhage and chorioamnionitis, and mindfulness-based regulation showed no conclusive effect on medical errors. → Joly Louise 2026 (2)

Evidence¶

Joly Louise 2026¶

Joly Louise, Nunes de Sousa Alexandra, Bardiau Marjorie, Dory Valérie, Bayot Marie, Lenoir Anne-Laure. (2026). Impact of emotional competence on clinical reasoning: a scoping review. BMJ Open. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2025-113483

q2 · i? · review · r3

Narrative synthesis of the review's patient-outcome studies (33 of 98 articles); the review reports these associations from mostly non-interventional literature with no printed effect size.

"When patients were treated by physicians with higher global scores of EC or empathy, they were more satisfied with care and displayed fewer symptoms of anxiety and depression."

Joly Louise 2026 (2)¶

Joly Louise, Nunes de Sousa Alexandra, Bardiau Marjorie, Dory Valérie, Bayot Marie, Lenoir Anne-Laure. (2026). Impact of emotional competence on clinical reasoning: a scoping review. BMJ Open. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2025-113483

q2 · i? · review · r3

Narrative synthesis reporting the mixed obstetric findings and, separately, that mindfulness-based emotional regulation showed no conclusive effect on medical errors. The review identifies patient outcomes as a major evidence gap.

"Obstetricians exhibiting greater emotional regulation (eg, lower anxiety and more reflective coping) were associated on one hand with fewer operative deliveries, a trend towards more spontaneous births and on the other hand with increased risks of postpartum haemorrhage and chorioamnionitis."

Discussion¶

Learner Variables¶

• Emotional Intelligence — predictor: learners who differ on it differ in outcomes

Related Claims¶

• Evidence for emotional competence improving clinical performance outside emergency and surgical contexts remains inconsistent, and empathy does not predict technical examination quality — related
• Emotional competence enhances diagnostic and therapeutic clinical reasoning most clearly in life-threatening emergency situations — related
• Emotion regulation may reduce inappropriate prescriptions, while empathy shows no significant correlation with prescription volume or quality — related
• The review attributes to Japanese survey evidence that family physicians with stronger communication abilities are perceived as more effective and achieve higher patient satisfaction — related
• Clinicians' emotional responses to patients impacted patient engagement and diagnostic decisions, with negative emotions associated with poorer quality care and positive emotions with more comprehensive care — related
• Early clinical exposure is associated with higher empathy scores regardless of gender and academic year — related