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<article article-type="abstract" dtd-version="1.0" xml:lang="en" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML">
<front>
<journal-meta>
<journal-id journal-id-type="publisher-id">CC</journal-id>
<journal-id journal-id-type="nlm-ta">Cardiol Croat</journal-id>
<journal-title-group>
<journal-title>Cardiologia Croatica</journal-title>
<abbrev-journal-title abbrev-type="pubmed">Cardiol. Croat.</abbrev-journal-title>
</journal-title-group>
<issn pub-type="ppub">1848-543X</issn>
<issn pub-type="epub">1848-5448</issn>
<publisher><publisher-name>Croatian Cardiac Society</publisher-name></publisher>
</journal-meta>
<article-meta>
<article-id pub-id-type="publisher-id">CC 2024 19_11-12_646</article-id>
<article-id pub-id-type="doi">10.15836/ccar2024.646</article-id>
<article-categories><subj-group subj-group-type="heading"><subject>Extended Abstract</subject></subj-group>
<subj-group subj-group-type="subheading"><subject>Psychocardiology</subject></subj-group>
</article-categories>
<title-group>
<article-title>Healthcare workers&#x2019; empathy and patients&#x2019; resilience as fundamental pillars of effective cardiac care</article-title>
</title-group>
<contrib-group>
<contrib contrib-type="author" corresp="yes"><contrib-id contrib-id-type="orcid">https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5419-4750</contrib-id><name><surname>Juri&#x0161;i&#x0107;</surname><given-names>Matijana</given-names></name><xref ref-type="aff" rid="aff1"><sup>1</sup></xref><xref ref-type="corresp" rid="cor1">*</xref></contrib>
<contrib contrib-type="author"><contrib-id contrib-id-type="orcid">https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0420-357X</contrib-id><name><surname>Jakovljevi&#x0107;</surname><given-names>Miro</given-names></name><xref ref-type="aff" rid="aff2"><sup>2</sup></xref></contrib>
<aff id="aff1"><label>1</label>Health Centre Tomislavgrad, Tomislavgrad, Bosnia and Herzegovina</aff>
<aff id="aff2"><label>2</label><institution>University of Zagreb</institution>, <institution content-type="dept">School of Medicine</institution>, <addr-line>Zagreb</addr-line>, <country country="hr">Croatia</country></aff>
</contrib-group>
<author-notes>
<corresp id="cor1"><label>*</label>ADDRESS FOR CORRESPONDENCE: Matijana Juri&#x0161;i&#x0107;, Dom zdravlja Tomislavgrad, Ulica dr. Mije Feri&#x0107;a 12, 80240 Tomislavgrad, Bosnia and Herzegovina. / Phone: +387-63-966-717 / E-mail: <email xlink:href="jurisicmatijana@gmail.com">jurisicmatijana@gmail.com</email></corresp></author-notes>
<pub-date date-type="pub" publication-format="electronic"><month>11</month><year>2024</year></pub-date>
<pub-date date-type="pub" publication-format="print"><month>11</month><year>2024</year></pub-date>
<volume>19</volume>
<issue>11-12</issue>
<fpage>646</fpage>
<lpage>646</lpage>
<history>
<date date-type="received"><day>13</day><month>10</month><year>2024</year></date>
<date><day>31</day><month>10</month><year>2024</year></date>
</history>
<permissions>
<copyright-statement>Croatian Cardiac Society</copyright-statement>
<copyright-year>2024</copyright-year>
<copyright-holder>Croatian Cardiac Society</copyright-holder>
</permissions>
<kwd-group kwd-group-type="author"><title>KEYWORDS: </title><kwd>psychocardiology</kwd><kwd>empathy</kwd><kwd>resilience</kwd><kwd>patient care</kwd></kwd-group>
</article-meta>
</front>
<body>
<p>Psychocardiology is a multidisciplinary field that connects psychology and cardiology with the goal of providing comprehensive care to patients with cardiovascular diseases. Psychological factors, such as stress, anxiety, and depression, often have a significant impact on the development and outcome of cardiovascular conditions. (<xref ref-type="bibr" rid="r1"><italic>1</italic></xref>) Patients with chronic heart diseases frequently suffer from depression, while prolonged stress is linked to high blood pressure and an increased risk of heart attacks. (<xref ref-type="bibr" rid="r1"><italic>1</italic></xref>) These connections emphasize the importance of psychological health in cardiac treatment. Empathy and resilience are key factors in the care of patients with cardiovascular diseases, especially within the field of psychocardiology, which examines the interaction between psychological and cardiac conditions. These concepts contribute to the understanding and approach to patients not only from a physical but also from an emotional aspect, enabling comprehensive health care. Empathy refers to the ability to understand and share the emotions of others, and in the context of caring for heart patients, it helps create a connection between medical staff and patients. (<xref ref-type="bibr" rid="r2"><italic>2</italic></xref>) Through an empathetic approach, patients feel understood, accepted, and emotionally supported, reducing their psychological stress and contributing to recovery. In medical practice, when healthcare workers show empathy toward patients, communication improves, which not only reduces patients&#x2019; fear and anxiety but also positively influences their motivation to follow therapeutic plans. (<xref ref-type="bibr" rid="r3"><italic>3</italic></xref>) Empathy also plays an important role in the decision-making process, as better communication enables patients to become more actively involved in their own treatment and recovery. Resilience, as the ability to adapt to stress, trauma, and challenges, is crucial in the context of chronic diseases such as heart conditions. Patients with heart diseases often face long-term and serious health challenges, and resilience allows them to better cope with the physical and emotional difficulties that accompany their illness. Empowered patients, who develop the ability to cope with challenges, have a better prognosis in terms of long-term mental and physical health.</p>
</body>
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<ref-list>
<title>LITERATURE</title>
<ref id="r1"><label>1</label><mixed-citation publication-type="journal"><person-group person-group-type="author"><name><surname>Dimsdale</surname><given-names>JE</given-names></name></person-group>. <article-title>Psychological stress and cardiovascular disease.</article-title> <source>J Am Coll Cardiol</source>. <year>2008</year> April 1;<volume>51</volume>(<issue>13</issue>):<fpage>1237</fpage>&#x2013;<lpage>46</lpage>. <pub-id pub-id-type="doi">10.1016/j.jacc.2007.12.024</pub-id><pub-id pub-id-type="pmid">18371552</pub-id></mixed-citation></ref>
<ref id="r2"><label>2</label><mixed-citation publication-type="book">Hojat M. Empathy in Health Professions Education and Patient Care. New York: Springer; 2020.</mixed-citation></ref>
<ref id="r3"><label>3</label><mixed-citation publication-type="journal"><person-group person-group-type="author"><name><surname>Nembhard</surname><given-names>IM</given-names></name><name><surname>David</surname><given-names>G</given-names></name><name><surname>Ezzeddine</surname><given-names>I</given-names></name><name><surname>Betts</surname><given-names>D</given-names></name><name><surname>Radin</surname><given-names>J</given-names></name></person-group>. <article-title>A systematic review of research on empathy in health care.</article-title> <source>Health Serv Res</source>. <year>2023</year> April;<volume>58</volume>(<issue>2</issue>):<fpage>250</fpage>&#x2013;<lpage>63</lpage>. <pub-id pub-id-type="doi">10.1111/1475-6773.14016</pub-id><pub-id pub-id-type="pmid">35765156</pub-id></mixed-citation></ref>
</ref-list>
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