Doctor-patient communication skills, empathy, job burnout, and humanistic care abilities among resident physicians: A dual-pathway mediation model based on the Conservation of Resources theory

Objective Drawing on the Conservation of Resources (COR) theory, this study investigated factors associated with humanistic care abilities among resident physicians and the underlying mechanism, focusing on a “dual-pathway mediation model” that incorporated doctor-patient communication skills, empathy, and job burnout. Methods cross-sectional online survey was conducted with 275 resident physicians in a Chinese tertiary hospital. Standard scales measured doctor-patient communication skills, empathy, job burnout, and humanistic care abilities. Mediation analysis was performed using the SPSS macro PROCESS Model 4. Results Regression analyses indicated that doctor-patient communication ability (β = 0.348, p < 0.01) and empathy (β = 0.429, p < 0.01) were positively associated with humanistic care ability, while job burnout had a negative influence (β=-0.589, p < 0.01). Mediation analysis showed that job burnout mediated the relationships between doctor-patient communication ability, empathy ability, and humanistic care ability. Conclusion The findings validate the utility of the COR theory for understanding humanistic care ability in medical training. Doctor-patient communication and empathy are vital resources, helping mitigate conflict and emotional exhaustion associated with job burnout, thereby improving humanistic care capacity. Our findings suggest that targeted training programs focused on enhancing communication skills and empathy are crucial for reducing burnout and fostering the sustainable development of humanistic care skills among resident physicians.