TY - JOUR
T1 - Can communication skills training improve empathy? A six-year longitudinal study of medical students in Japan
AU - Kataoka, Hitomi
AU - Iwase, Toshihide
AU - Ogawa, Hiroko
AU - Mahmood, Sabina
AU - Sato, Masaru
AU - DeSantis, Jennifer
AU - Hojat, Mohammadreza
AU - Gonnella, Joseph S.
N1 - Funding Information:
This study was supported, in part, by funding to Dr. Kataoka from the Mext Kakenhi grant number [25460623], and in part by a grant to Dr. Gonnella from the Noguchi Medical Research Institute, Tokyo, Japan.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2018, © 2018 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.
PY - 2019/2/1
Y1 - 2019/2/1
N2 - Background: Empathy is an important component of overall clinical competence; thus, enhancing empathy in medical education is essential for quality patient care. Aim: This longitudinal study was designed to address the following questions: 1. Can a targeted educational program in communication skills training enhance empathy in medical students? and 2. Can such a program have a sustained effect? Methods: Study participants included 116 students who entered Okayama University Medical School in 2011. Students participated in a communication skills training program aimed to enhance their empathy, and completed the Jefferson Scale of Empathy (JSE) five times: at the beginning of medical school, prior to participation in the program, immediately after the program, and in last years of medical school. A total of 69 students, representing 59% of the cohort, completed the JSE in all five test administrations. Results: Students’ total scores on the JSE and its two factors (Perspective Taking and Compassionate Care) increased significantly (p < 0.001) after participation in the communication skills training program. However, the program did not have a sustained effect. Conclusions: Targeted educational programs to enhance empathy in medical students can have a significant effect; however, additional reinforcements may be needed for a sustained effect.
AB - Background: Empathy is an important component of overall clinical competence; thus, enhancing empathy in medical education is essential for quality patient care. Aim: This longitudinal study was designed to address the following questions: 1. Can a targeted educational program in communication skills training enhance empathy in medical students? and 2. Can such a program have a sustained effect? Methods: Study participants included 116 students who entered Okayama University Medical School in 2011. Students participated in a communication skills training program aimed to enhance their empathy, and completed the Jefferson Scale of Empathy (JSE) five times: at the beginning of medical school, prior to participation in the program, immediately after the program, and in last years of medical school. A total of 69 students, representing 59% of the cohort, completed the JSE in all five test administrations. Results: Students’ total scores on the JSE and its two factors (Perspective Taking and Compassionate Care) increased significantly (p < 0.001) after participation in the communication skills training program. However, the program did not have a sustained effect. Conclusions: Targeted educational programs to enhance empathy in medical students can have a significant effect; however, additional reinforcements may be needed for a sustained effect.
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U2 - 10.1080/0142159X.2018.1460657
DO - 10.1080/0142159X.2018.1460657
M3 - Article
C2 - 29683011
AN - SCOPUS:85045751170
SN - 0142-159X
VL - 41
SP - 195
EP - 200
JO - Medical Teacher
JF - Medical Teacher
IS - 2
ER -