Accepted Type
Oral
Code
OC3-3-2
Acceptance Declaration
Accept
Additional Information
I declare I have no actual or potential conflict of interest in relation to this program.
Was this work accepted for CCME 2020?
no
Category
General Call (Workshop, Oral Presentation, Poster Presentation)
Type
Oral
Sub Type
Education Research
Will the presenter be a:
Student
Affiliation
Considered for Poster
yes
Title
When Patients Teach Empathy - A Systematic Review of Training for Medical Students
Length of Presentation
Background/Purpose
Despite growing emphasis on patient-centered care, numerous studies have demonstrated diminishing empathy in medical students as they progress through their medical education. Involving patients as educators in medical curricula has been proposed as a solution. Therefore, this systematic review was conducted to evaluate patient-involved interventions aimed at promoting empathy among undergraduate medical students.
Methods
A literature search of MEDLINE, Embase, PsycINFO, and ERIC databases was performed using the keywords "empathy", "medical student", and their synonyms. Results were independently screened in duplicate and conflicts were resolved by group consensus. Any studies in English describing interventions aimed at promoting empathy in medical students by utilizing patients as educators were included. Relevant data were extracted and summarized.
Results
Of the 1467 studies screened, 14 studies were included, 11 of which were pilot studies. Studies included patient educators in storytelling (5/14), shadowing for students (3/14), recorded videos (3/14), or a combination of methods (3/14). Empathy was most frequently measured using qualitative techniques (e.g., written feedback, interviews) or the Jefferson Scale of Empathy, and all studies demonstrated improvements in empathy among medical students. Participants reported satisfaction with training and acknowledged its relevance to medical humanities and patient-centered care.
Conclusion
Interventions utilizing patient-educators can improve empathy among medical students. Shared culture around patient-centered care must be supported by patient-driven medical education beyond simple pilot projects and feasibility studies.
Keyword 1
Patient-centered
Keyword 2
Empathy
Keyword 3
Medical Student
Level of Training
Undergraduate
Abstract Themes
Curriculum
Curriculum
General
Additional Theme (First choice)
Undergraduate
Additional Theme (Second Choice)
Inter-professional Education
Additional Theme (Third Choice)
Professionalism
Authors
Presenter
Mina Boshra
Term 1
Yes
Term 2
Yes
Term 3
Yes
Term 4
Yes
Term 5
Yes
