Empathy, stress, and coproduction: Experience of public professionals in Chinese healthcare
研究中国医生共情对医患共同生产的影响，发现共情既直接提升共同生产感知，又通过增加压力间接削弱它，对医疗治理有启示。
This research investigates the influence of a human factor—empathic concern—on the perceptions of Chinese physicians regarding the coproduction of healthcare services in conjunction with their patients. Employing structural equation modeling (SEM) to analyze data garnered from a comprehensive survey involving 512 physicians in public hospitals located in Qingdao, China, the study reveals that while empathy directly augments physicians’ perceived coproduction in healthcare, it concurrently induces stress, which adversely impacts their perceived coproduction. This research makes a significant contribution to the governance and policy literature by illuminating the role of human factors, particularly empathy, in the coproduction of services by public professionals.