Quantum Health Announces Collaboration with Stanford University Empathy expert and author Jamil Zaki

By AIT News Desk On Sep 9, 2021

The world could use more caring and empathy. And when it comes to healthcare, it may surprise you to know that the individual healthcare journey is often lacking these characteristics. That’s why Quantum Health, the leader in consumer healthcare navigation and care coordination, announced it has partnered with Stanford University professor, author, and leading empathy researcher, Jamil Zaki, Ph.D., to underscore the need for a more supportive and personalized healthcare experience for consumers.

Zaki is a professor of psychology at Stanford University and director of the Stanford Social Neuroscience Laboratory. He is author of the book “The War for Kindness: Building Empathy in a Fractured World” and has been published in The New York Times, The Washington Post, The New Yorker and The Atlantic.

“There’s a fair amount of research that demonstrates that empathy is on the decline. In fact, based on self-reported data, Americans in 2009 were 75% less empathic than in 1979, so there has been a big drop in empathy over time,” said Zaki. “This general decline in empathy is playing out in many different ways. For example, in healthcare settings, we’ve all had the experience of not being seen fully as people, but more as a number or body when going through the healthcare system. That can influence our overall experience with our doctors and even our health outcomes.”

Zaki’s recent book is based on research conducted in his lab at Stanford and on an analysis of global research into the state of empathy, including whether empathy is a learned or inherited trait, how the increased use of technology impacts empathy, how empathy influences patient outcomes, and how compassion fatigue and burnout affect healthcare providers and caregivers and their interactions with patients.

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“The power of empathy in healthcare and in the workplace cannot be overlooked. In fact, at Quantum Health, we built our entire business model around this concept. I started this company to address the gaps in how people were having to manage challenging healthcare issues and deal with their healthcare benefits when they were highly stressed and least able to do so effectively,” said Kara Trott, founder and CEO of Quantum Health. “There was a huge lack of focus on the consumer and an even larger empathy gap. We are thrilled to partner with Jamil as we further explore the dimensions and possibilities that empathy brings to healthcare navigation and to the important services our teams deliver every day.”

Quantum Health provides personalized support to help people navigate their healthcare journeys — from identifying healthcare issues, to helping them find the right providers, to managing their claims. By doing so, Quantum Health reduces complexity for the member, enhances the experience, and helps control costs for self-insured companies who provide healthcare benefits for their employees.

As part of his collaboration with Quantum Health, Zaki will share knowledge and insights with employers about the importance of empathy in the workplace in a live conversation on Oct. 6, titled, “The Empathy Advantage: Employers, Benefits and the ROI of Caring.”

“Empathy in the workplace is always smart and always important. When leaders and organizations act with empathy, employees benefit in numerous ways. They are less likely to be stressed or burned out, they have greater morale, and they’re more likely to work more productively and creatively,” said Zaki. “Empathy is even more important now, because work has changed so much during the COVID-19 pandemic, and we’ve lost some of those natural in-between moments at work when we might otherwise get to know each other and show empathy.”

Working in an empathetic culture is a priority for employees. According to the 2020 State of Workplace Empathy, an annual survey by BusinessSolver, 83% of employees would consider leaving their current job for a similar role at a more empathetic employer, and in 2021 this same survey found that 84% of CEOs believe empathy drives better business outcomes.