Digital Empathy as an Evolving Socio-Technological Construct: A Temporal Evolution Concept Analysis

Vollständiger Abstract

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Introduction: Empathy has traditionally been understood as an embodied and relational process within face-to-face healthcare interactions; however, the rapid integration of digital technologies has transformed the conditions under which empathic engagement occurs. Objective: This study aimed to examine the temporal evolution of digital empathy and to develop a theoretically grounded conceptualization reflecting its transformation across technological eras. Methods: A historical–comparative concept analysis using Temporal Evolution Concept Analysis (TECA) was undertaken to interpret how digital empathy has evolved across technologically mediated healthcare contexts. Drawing on peer-reviewed literature retrieved from the Scopus, ScienceDirect, and CINAHL databases, the analysis involved iterative corpus assembly, temporal segmentation, cross-era comparison, evolution tracing, and conceptual trajectory synthesis. Results: The analysis suggests four interconnected phases of digital empathy: human-centered, mediated, hybrid, and artificial intelligence-mediated empathy. Across these phases, shifts were observed from physical presence to mediated presence, from emotional attunement to digital responsiveness, and from embodiment to virtual embodiment. These transformations appear to reflect broader technological developments, evolving healthcare delivery models, and global disruptions. Conclusion: Rather than a static extension of traditional empathy, digital empathy is proposed as an adaptive, evolving socio-technological construct shaped by changing modes of relational engagement. A conceptual trajectory model is proposed, offering implications for clinical practice, health professional education, digital health policy, and the ethical integration of emerging technologies.