Constance, I agree that these are two concepts with very similar meanings that are often confusing in relation to patient care perceptions. As stated in a recent journal article on the concept of compassion, based on Rodger’s method of analysis the definition of empathy and sympathy are compared with that of compassion. Empathy is described “as a family of responses to another “that are more other-focused than self-focused, including feelings of sympathy, compassion, tenderness, and the like” and sympathy was described as “an emotional reaction that is based on the apprehension of another’s emotional state or condition and that involves feelings of concern and sorrow for the other person” (Goetz, Keltner, & Simon-Thomas, 2010, p. 351). As
