Study empathy in clinical encounters using observational and qualitative methods rather than self-report alone¶

Strategy · All strategies
Evidence · 1 claim (1 for) · 1 study (1 review), q2 · 0 of 1 report an effect size · 1 claim rests on one study

Description¶

The review's future-research recommendation is to move beyond self-administered scales toward studying how empathy is displayed in clinical settings. It states that "research that includes both cognition, action, and feelings is recommended", and that future studies could focus not on self-reporting but rather on patient perceptions of empathic student/physician behaviour. It further recommends incorporating non-medical students as control groups, employing mixed methods, observational and qualitative research, and conducting a meta-analysis to enable calculation of statistical significance and heterogeneity.

Design Implications¶

Context¶

Requirements¶

• Research designs that capture empathy displayed between patient and medical student, including observational scales such as the MPCC and OSCE evaluations

Constraints¶

• The review's own search was limited by search words presuming change, by language restrictions to English and Scandinavian, and by inclusion of only quantitative studies

Target Learners¶

• medical students

Target Learning Goals¶

• development and expression of empathy in clinical care

Claims¶

• Self-administered and observed empathy measures can yield opposite trajectories during clinical training, as one longitudinal study found declining self-reported but improving observed empathy [+W]

Related Strategies¶

• Prioritize practical digital-task tests, pedagogy research, and mixed methods in digital competence research
• Use objective outcome measures (blinded OSCE, standardized tests, structured scales) in future ECE research

Examples¶

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Key Sources¶

• Andersen Freja Allerelli, Johansen Ann-Sofie Bering, Søndergaard Jens, Andersen Christina Maar, Assing Hvidt Elisabeth. (2020). Revisiting the trajectory of medical students' empathy, and impact of gender, specialty preferences and nationality: a systematic review. BMC Medical Education. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-020-1964-5