Effect of empathy training on the empathy level of healthcare providers in Ethiopia: a cluster randomized controlled trial

Abstract

ObjectiveEmpathy has deteriorated throughout clinical training and medical practice, and little is known about the effect of empathy training on the empathy level of healthcare providers. To address this gap, we assessed the effect of empathy training on the empathy level of healthcare providers in Ethiopia.DesignA cluster randomized controlled trial study design was conducted from 20 December 2021 to 20 March 2022. The empathy training intervention was conducted for three consecutive days.SettingThe study was conducted in five fistula treatment centers in Ethiopia.ParticipantsThe participants were all randomly selected healthcare providers.Main outcome measuresTotal mean score, percentage changes, and Cohen’s effect size were computed. A linear mixed effects model and independent t-test were used for data analysis.ResultsA majority of the study participants were nurses in the profession, married, and first-degree holders. There was no statistically significant difference in the baseline empathy score of the intervention arm across their socio-demographic features. At the baseline, the mean empathy scores of the control and intervention arms were 102.10 ± 15.38 and 101.13 ± 17.67, respectively. The effect of empathy training on the total mean score changes of empathy of the intervention arm compared to the control arm at each follow-up time had a statistically significant difference. After a week, a month, and three months of post-intervention, the total mean empathy scores between the intervention and control arms were as follows: (intervention 112.65 ± 18.99, control 102.85 ± 15.65, d = 0.55, p = 0.03); (intervention 109.01 ± 17.79, control 100.52 ± 12.57, d = 0.53, p = 0.034); and (intervention 106.28 ± 16.24, control 96.58 ± 14.69, d = 0.60, p = 0.016) with the overall percentage changes of 11, 8, and 5% from the baseline scores, respectively.ConclusionIn this trial, the empathy training intervention was found to have more than a medium effect size. However, over the follow-up intervals, there was a decreasing trend in the total mean empathy scores of healthcare providers; suggesting that there should be continued empathy training and integration of it into educational and training curriculums to enhance and sustain the empathy of healthcare providers.Clinical Trial Registration: Pan African Clinical Trial Registry: http://www.edctp.org/panafrican-clinical-trials-registry or https://pactr.samrc.ac.za, PACTR202112564898934.

Examining nurses' humanistic behaviour ability and empathy levels in clinical practice: A descriptive and exploratory study

“…The finding that those who work 45 h a week have higher empathy levels than those who work overtime, suggests that self-care can be explained by a balanced life and good psychological health. There are also studies with similar findings (Hurissa et al, 2023;Klim et al, 2023).…”

“…In the study, it is thought that married individuals, those with children and extended families and those with good family relations have higher levels of empathy due to factors such as having a greater sense of responsibility, supporting each other socially and establishing open communication between family members. There are also findings supporting this situation in studies in the literature (Hurissa et al, 2023;Jeffrey, 2016;Klim et al, 2023). The finding that those who work 45 h a week have higher empathy levels than those who work overtime, suggests that self-care can be explained by a balanced life and good psychological health.…”

“…However, there are studies in the literature that find the empathy level of health professionals to be low (Hurissa et al, 2023;Klim et al, 2023;Sinclair et al, 2017). This difference is attributed in the studies to the fact that health professionals carry an excessive burden in clinical practice, have empathic concern for patients and their relatives and do not have enough time to gain perspective.…”

The Effect of Knowledge Brokering on Cardiac Nurses' Empathy with Their Patients: A Field Randomized Controlled Trial

“…However, the results of this study were similar to those found in educational studies. In a cluster randomized controlled trial conducted by Hurissa et al (2023), empathy training for three consecutive days including video show, roleplaying, and storytelling about patient condition increased the total mean empathy scores of healthcare providers significantly (Hurissa, Koricha, & Dadi, 2023). Additionally, Kagawa et al (2023) reported that listening to patient storytelling could increase the mean scores of empathy among undergraduate medical students (Kagawa et al, 2023).…”

The Effect of Knowledge Brokering on Nurses' Empathy with Patients Receiving Cardiac Care: An Experimental Study

“…randomized controlled trial conducted byHurissa et al (2023), empathy training for three consecutive days including video show, roleplaying, and storytelling about patient condition increased the total mean empathy scores of healthcare providers significantly36 . Additionally,Kagawa et al (2023) reported that listening to patient storytelling could increase the mean scores of empathy among undergraduate medical students37 .…”