Publication:
Impact of a longitudinal course on medical professionalism on the empathy of medical students

Date

2024

Authors

García del Barrio, Loreto
Gea, Alfredo
Arbea, Leire
Pereira, José
Díez, Nieves

Director

Publisher

Elsevier
Acceso abierto / Sarbide irekia
Artículo / Artikulua
Versión publicada / Argitaratu den bertsioa

Project identifier

Métricas Alternativas

Abstract

Objective: Medical education should enhance empathy. We examined, using self-assessment instruments and standardized patients (SPs), the impact on empathy, of a multi-year intervention (years 4-6 of medical training) that uses reflective learning approaches. Methods: 241 final-year medical students participated; 110 from the 2018 graduation class (non-intervention group) and 131 from the 2019 graduation class (intervention group). Participants completed two self-reported empathy questionnaires - the Jefferson Scale of Empathy-Students (JSE-S) and the Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI) - and a personality questionnaire, the NEO Five-Factor Inventory. Additionally, SPs in a simulated station assessed participants¿ empathy with two patient-reported instruments: the Consultation and Relational Empathy (CARE) scale and the Jefferson Scale of Patient Perceptions of Physician Empathy (JSPPPE). Results: Empathy scores were significantly higher in the intervention group compared to the non-intervention group when assessed by the SP (p < 0.001). No differences were found in self-reported questionnaires between the two groups. Conclusion: A longitudinal, multi-year reflection-based intervention enhanced empathy amongst medical students as assessed by SPs, but not when assessed by student self-reported measures. Practice Implications: Multi-year reflective learning interventions during clinical training nurture empathy in medical students. Assessments completed by SPs or patients may enhance the evaluation of empathy.

Description

Keywords

Empathy, Medical education, Undergraduate

Department

Ciencias de la Salud / Osasun Zientziak / Institute of Smart Cities - ISC

Faculty/School

Degree

Doctorate program

item.page.cita

Del Barrio, L. G., Rodríguez-Díez, C., Gea, A., Arbea, L., Pereira, J., Díez, N. (2024) Impact of a longitudinal course on medical professionalism on the empathy of medical students. Patient Education and Counseling, 119, 1-8. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pec.2023.108042.

item.page.rights

© 2023 The Authors. This is an open access article under the CC BY license.

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