Interprofessional discharge team communication and empathy in discharge planning activities: A narrative review

Poor communication is a main cause of poor discharge planning. Although empathic processes underlie communication competence, the extent to which discharge team empathy has been studied is unclear. This paper will summarize interventions that incorporate empathic processes for effective interprofessional team communication. Guided by the SANRA scale, this narrative review presents research (2013–2019) on interprofessional communication and empathy interventions during discharge planning activities. Database searches yielded 2357 abstracts; ten fulfilled inclusion criteria. Limited studies exist with diverse interventions (simulation, process observations, video-enhanced learning, or TeamSTEPPS) that were mostly atheoretical and quasi-experimental, and samples of pre- and post-licensure clinicians ranging in size from 7 to 132. Evidence suggests that there is benefit to engaging in team-based discharge planning simulation when that simulation includes content on roles, debriefing, exercises in self-reflection, and use of video-feedback. As guided by theory, further benefits can be gained by incorporating empathic processes into interprofessional communication interventions.