BackgroundThe cultivation of empathy for healthcare providers is an important issue in medical education. Narrative medicine (NM) has been shown to foster empathy. To our knowledge, there has been no research that examines whether a NM programme affects multi-professional healthcare providers’ empathy. Our study aims to fill this gap by investigating whether a NM programme effects multi-professional healthcare providers’ empathy.MethodsA pre-post questionnaire method was used.142 participants (n = 122 females) who attended the NM programme were divided into single (n = 58) and team groups (n = 84) on the basis of inter-professional education during a period of 2 months. Perceptions of the NM programme were collected using our developed questionnaire. Empathy levels were measured using the Chinese version of Jefferson Scale of Empathy - Healthcare Providers Version (JSE-HP) – at three time points: prior to (Time 1), immediately after (T2), and 1.5 years (T3) after the programme.ResultsParticipants’ perceptions about the NM programme (n = 116; n = 96 females) suggested an in enhancement of empathy (90.5%). Empathy scores via the JSE-HP increased after the NM programme (T1 mean 111.05, T2 mean 116.19) and were sustainable for 1.5 years (T3 mean 116.04) for all participants (F(2297) = 3.74, p < .025). A main effect of gender on empathy scores was found (F(1298) = 5.33, p < .022). No significant effect of gender over time was found but there was a trend that showed females increasing empathy scores at T2, sustaining at T3, but males demonstrating a slow rise in empathy scores over time.ConclusionsNM programme as an educational tool for empathy is feasible. However, further research is needed to examine gender difference as it might be that males and females respond differently to a NM programme intervention.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12909-017-0952-x) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Successful ablation of idiopathic left ventricular tachycardia can be achieved at sites away from the tachycardia exit site in some patients. This finding suggests that the reentry circuit is likely to be of considerable size, encompassing the middle, inferior and lower aspects of the left interventricular septum.

Background The feasibility and efficacy of radiofrequency ablation therapy in idiopathic left ventricular tachycardia has not been assessed in a large group of patients.Methods and Results Twenty consecutive patients with idiopathic left ventricular tachycardia and without structural heart disease underwent electrophysiological study, pharmacological interventions with administration of verapamil and adenosine, and radiofrequency ablation therapy. There were 17 men and 3 women with a mean age of 28±8 years. The QRS configuration during tachycardia was of right bundle branch block and superior axis in 13 patients, indeterminate axis in 6 patients, and right axis in 1 patient. The tachycardia was electrically inducible and responsive to verapamil but not to adenosine. Thirteen patients demonstrated entrainment. Activation and pace-mapping studies disclosed that the tachycardia originated from the inferior apical septum in 15 patients, the midseptum in 4 patients, and the anterior lateral wall of the left ventricle in 1 patient. Radiofrequency ablation was successful in 17 of the 20 patients (85%). The successful

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