Empathy and Responsiveness in Public Healthcare: Patients’ Narratives from Namlea Regional Hospital, Indonesia

Abstract

This study aims to explore the meaning of empathy and responsiveness in public healthcare services based on patients’ experiences at Namlea Regional Public Hospital, Buru Regency, Indonesia. The research focuses on understanding how patients perceive their interpersonal interactions with healthcare providers and how the staff’s responsiveness to their needs and complaints shapes their overall perception of service quality. A qualitative descriptive approach was employed, with data collected through in-depth interviews involving ten purposively selected informants consisting of both outpatients and inpatients. Data were analyzed thematically through processes of reduction, display, and conclusion drawing. The findings reveal that healthcare workers’ empathy plays a dominant role in shaping patients’ positive experiences, especially through friendliness, attentiveness, and willingness to listen to complaints. Responsiveness—reflected in prompt service delivery and readiness to assist—also contributes significantly to patients’ trust in the public health system. However, limited human resources and medical facilities remain major constraints in maintaining consistent empathetic and responsive care. The study concludes that healthcare quality is not solely determined by technical aspects but also by the humanistic dimensions of patient–provider relationships. Therefore, fostering empathy and responsiveness should be prioritized in improving public healthcare quality, particularly in regional and resource-limited settings.