Digital Empathy 2.0: Connecting With Patients Using the Written Word

Chat-based telehealth has been expanding with the resulting concern of the further deterioration of the clinician-patient relationship. As this relationship hinges on fostering a human connection and trust, understanding, and creating digital empathy for the written word becomes crucial. Currently most of the literature focuses on training and empathy over face-to-face video visits leaving a gap for training and education over chat. Chat-based telehealth leverages clinicians as well as artificial intelligence, so the use of empathetic statements and protocols can be employed. However, clinicians will still require an understanding and training in how to convey digital empathy over the written word. In this paper, we offer some tips for training on digital empathy over this modality.