Consultation and Relational Empathy (CARE) Measure

The CARE Measure asks the patient, not the clinician, how a consultation felt. Ten questions cover what empathy actually looks like in a session: whether the practitioner made them feel at ease, let them tell their story, really listened, showed care and compassion, explained things clearly, helped them take control, and made a plan together.

Each item is rated poor, fair, good, very good, or excellent, scored 1 to 5 and summed for a total between 10 and 50. A "does not apply" option exists, and up to two of those or missing answers are allowed before the questionnaire is discarded. It is a process measure rather than an outcome measure — it describes how care was delivered, not whether the person got better.

Licensing Notes: Use outside the UK — including for research, education, or any other purpose — requires prior permission before starting. No changes to the wording are permitted without permission, and all translations remain under his copyright.

Learn More: Up to two "not applicable" or missing responses are allowed; the recommended handling is to replace them with the mean of the remaining items.