Compassionate care from the perspective of the hospitalized patient.

INTRODUCTION: Compassionate care is essential for the quality of care. However, few studies in our context address patients' perspectives on compassionate care. OBJECTIVE: To explore patients' perceptions of the elements that constitute compassionate care. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A qualitative approach using interpretive phenomenology. The participants were hospitalized adults. Convenience sampling was used, with the sample determined by data saturation. Semi-structured interviews were recorded, with prior informed consent and signed consent. Analysis was carried out simultaneously with data collection, through the researchers' interpretation. Units of meaning were identified for each participant and subsequently grouped according to common meanings. RESULTS: Thirteen hospitalized patients participated, interviewed between January and June 2023. The themes that encompass the meaning of compassionate care were Healing Presence, Compassion: An Experience of Human Connection, Compassion as a Holistic Phenomenon of Caring, and The Antonyms of Compassionate Care. DISCUSSION: The topics are related to research findings from different contexts and clinical care settings. Differences and similarities are highlighted, broadening the scope of the phenomenological interpretation of each case. CONCLUSION: Patient education and communication are central elements of compassionate care, enabling meaningful and humanized relationships in care. The way healthcare providers communicate information and interact with patients directly influences their perception of the care receive.