Empathy Enhancement Based on a Semiotics Training Program: A Longitudinal Study in Peruvian Medical Students

Abstract

Background: Empathy, as a core element of medical professionalism, is part of leadership in medicine. This attribute, predominantly cognitive, involves understanding and communication capacity. Empathy can be enhanced with courses on medical semiotics. It appears adequate to apply this enhancement in the early stages of professional training. Based on this, this study was performed with the purpose of demonstrating the positive effect that an academic course on medical semiotics has on the development of empathy in medical students.Methods: A quasi-experimental study was conducted in one School of Medicine in Peru, where medical students had to attend a 17-week course on medical semiotics as part of their regular training. The sample, composed by 269 students, included two cohorts of third-year medical students. As main measures, the Jefferson Scales of Empathy (JSE), inter-professional collaboration (JSAPNC), and lifelong learning (JeffSPLL), were used. In addition, students' scores evaluating theoretical and practical aspects of the course were collected once the course was finished. Pre-and posttests were administered in week 1 and in week 17. Analyses compared measures in both moments and in time. Inter-professional collaboration and lifelong learning scores and empathy scores were used as discriminant and convergent validity measures of students' course scores, respectively.Results: Gender differences on empathy appeared, but only at the beginning. In the entire sample, empathy enhancement was confirmed in time (p < 0.001), with a large effect size (r = 0.45). This effect was also observed in both gender groups, separately. On the contrary, no changes appeared in inter-professional collaboration and in lifelong learning abilities in time. In addition, a positive correlation was observed among empathy, inter-professional collaboration and lifelong learning abilities at the beginning and at the end, confirming that the improvement observed was specific for empathy and explained by the educational intervention assessed.

Non-academic factors influencing the development of empathy in undergraduate nursing students: a cross-sectional study

“…The above psychometric instruments mentioned were validated and tested in previous studies with medical and nursing Peruvian students showing excellent psychometric properties and high reliability [ 6 , 9 , 10 ].…”

“…In consonance with this, Richardson and colleagues have suggested the inclusion of targeted training in academic programs, such as “nursing therapeutics” methodology, teaching nursing students how to care using compassion and empathy [ 4 ]. In recent years, similar training experiences based on communication and understanding skills have demonstrated a positive effect in the enhancement of empathy in medical [ 5 , 6 ] and nursing students [ 7 , 8 ].…”

“…However, there are still many countries in which targeted training focused on acquiring and improving empathic abilities is a pending task [ 5 , 6 , 9 ]. In the specific case of Peruvian medical and nursing schools, targeted training programs focused on the acquisition of empathic abilities are included in their curricula in a few number of cases [ 6 ].…”

“…However, there are still many countries in which targeted training focused on acquiring and improving empathic abilities is a pending task [ 5 , 6 , 9 ]. In the specific case of Peruvian medical and nursing schools, targeted training programs focused on the acquisition of empathic abilities are included in their curricula in a few number of cases [ 6 ]. In the majority of cases, this type of knowledge is expected to be acquired as part of the clinical training that medical and nursing students receive in advanced stages of their studies.…”

Non-Academic Factors Influencing the Development of Empathy in Undergraduate Nursing Students: a Cross-sectional Study

“…In consonance with this, Richardson and colleagues have suggested the inclusion of targeted training in academic programs, such as "nursing therapeutics" methodology, teaching nursing students how to care using compassion and empathy [4]. In recent years, similar training experiences based on communication and understanding skills have demonstrated a positive effect in the enhancement of empathy in medical [5,6] and nursing students [7,8].…”