Can communication skills training improve empathy? A six-year longitudinal study of medical students in Japan.
Hitomi Kataoka, Toshihide Iwase, Hiroko Ogawa, Sabina Mahmood, Masaru Sato, Jennifer DeSantis, Mohammadreza Hojat, Joseph S Gonnella
Author Information
Hitomi Kataoka: a Department of Primary Care and Medical Education , Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry, and Pharmaceutical Sciences , Okayama , Japan.
Toshihide Iwase: a Department of Primary Care and Medical Education , Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry, and Pharmaceutical Sciences , Okayama , Japan.
Hiroko Ogawa: a Department of Primary Care and Medical Education , Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry, and Pharmaceutical Sciences , Okayama , Japan.
Sabina Mahmood: a Department of Primary Care and Medical Education , Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry, and Pharmaceutical Sciences , Okayama , Japan.
Masaru Sato: a Department of Primary Care and Medical Education , Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry, and Pharmaceutical Sciences , Okayama , Japan.
Jennifer DeSantis: b Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Center for Research in Medical Education and Health Care , Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University , Philadelphia , PA , USA.
Mohammadreza Hojat: b Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Center for Research in Medical Education and Health Care , Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University , Philadelphia , PA , USA.
Joseph S Gonnella: b Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Center for Research in Medical Education and Health Care , Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University , Philadelphia , PA , USA.
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.
