Train, Katherine J.Butler, Nadine2015-03-172015-03-172013Train, K. and Butler, N. (2013). A pilot study to test psychophonetics methodology for self-care and empathy in compassion fatique, burnout and secondary traumatic stress. African Journal of Primary Health Care and Family Medicine, 5(1): 1-62071-2928http://hdl.handle.net/10566/1383Background: Home-based care is recognised as being a stressful occupation. Practitioners working with patients experiencing high levels of trauma may be susceptible to compassion fatigue, with the sustained need to remain empathic being a contributing factor. Objectives: The aim of this research was to evaluate psychophonetics methodology for selfcare and empathy skills as an intervention for compassion fatigue. Objectives were to measure levels of compassion fatigue pre-intervention, then to apply the intervention and retest levels one month and six months post-intervention. Method: The research applied a pilot test of a developed intervention as a quasi-experiment. The study sample comprised home-based carers working with HIV-positive patients at a hospice in Grabouw, a settlement in the Western Cape facing socioeconomic challenge. Results: The result of the pilot study showed a statistically-significant improvement in secondary traumatic stress, a component of compassion fatigue, measured with the ProQOL v5 instrument post-intervention. Conclusion: The results gave adequate indication for the implementation of a larger study in order to apply and test the intervention. The study highlights a dire need for further research in this field.enThis article is published in an open access journal and is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution License.Family medicinePrimary health careHealth workersCompassion fatigueGrabouwSouth AfricaArticle