A Tool of the Future for Strengthening Compassion in a Danish Hospital Setting.

Compassion in healthcare is increasingly recognized as a multidimensional construct that influences patient experiences, clinical effectiveness, and workforce sustainability. However, the integration of compassion into routine clinical assessment remains limited due to a lack of standardized, context-sensitive measurement approaches. This study is designed to operationalize compassion within a hospital setting by systematically introducing and evaluating structured measurement instruments in real-world clinical practice.

The study is conducted at Herlev and Gentofte Hospital and follows a prospective, mixed-methods design with both cross-sectional and longitudinal components. It includes multiple clinical departments to ensure representation across different specialties, care intensities, and patient pathways. This diversity enables the assessment of compassion across heterogeneous contexts, including acute care, outpatient services, and longer-term treatment trajectories.

Participants include adult patients receiving care within participating departments and healthcare professionals employed in those units. Recruitment will occur consecutively to minimize selection bias and to reflect routine clinical populations. Healthcare professionals from various disciplines-including nursing staff, physicians, and allied health professionals-will be included to capture interdisciplinary perspectives on compassionate care delivery.

The study consists of several phases. The initial phase focuses on cultural and linguistic adaptation of the included measurement tools to ensure relevance and comprehensibility within a Danish healthcare context. This process includes translation, back-translation, and pilot testing with representative users. Feedback from this phase will inform minor adjustments to optimize clarity and usability.

The main data collection phase involves systematic administration of validated questionnaires to both patients and healthcare professionals. Patients will be invited to complete assessments in close temporal proximity to their care experience to reduce recall bias. Healthcare professionals will complete self-assessments at predefined intervals. Data collection will be facilitated through secure electronic platforms, with options for paper-based completion if needed to ensure inclusivity.

A longitudinal component is incorporated through repeated measurements over time. This allows for evaluation of temporal stability, responsiveness to organizational changes, and potential trends within and across departments. It also enables examination of how compassion-related measures evolve in relation to workplace conditions and clinical environments.

In parallel, a qualitative sub-study will be conducted to enrich interpretation of quantitative findings. Semi-structured interviews and focus groups with a purposive sample of patients and healthcare professionals will explore lived experiences, perceptions of compassionate care, and contextual factors influencing these experiences. This component will provide insight into mechanisms, barriers, and facilitators that are not captured through quantitative instruments alone.

Implementation processes will be systematically evaluated using principles from implementation science. Key domains include feasibility, acceptability, appropriateness, and integration into existing workflows. The study will examine how the introduction of compassion measurement tools interacts with organizational structures, leadership support, and daily clinical practice. Attention will also be given to potential unintended consequences, such as increased administrative burden or response fatigue.

Data analysis will include psychometric evaluation of measurement tools (e.g., internal consistency, construct validity, factor structure) and statistical modeling to explore patterns and associations within the data. Multilevel analytical approaches will be used to account for clustering at departmental levels. Longitudinal analyses will assess changes over time and potential predictors of variation in measured outcomes.

All data will be handled in compliance with applicable data protection regulations, including the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Participation is voluntary, and informed consent will be obtained from all participants. Data will be anonymized prior to analysis, and results will be reported at an aggregated level to ensure confidentiality.

By embedding structured assessment of compassion into routine clinical settings, this study aims to generate actionable knowledge on how compassion can be systematically understood, monitored, and supported in healthcare organizations. The findings are expected to contribute to the development of scalable approaches for integrating relational aspects of care into quality improvement frameworks, thereby supporting both patient-centered care and sustainable working conditions for healthcare professionals.