TY - JOUR
T1 - Beyond words
T2 - What can help first year medical students practice effective empathic communication?
AU - Plotkin, Jennifer B.
AU - Shochet, Robert
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2018
PY - 2018/11
Y1 - 2018/11
N2 - Objective: To gain insight into first year medical students’ experiences of practicing empathic communication and how patients that train students perceive such communication, in order to inform early communication skills training. Methods: Our study consisted of four focus groups, two of year one students who completed a first semester clinical skills course, one of standardized patients, and one of volunteer outpatients. Focus group transcripts were independently coded and iteratively reviewed to identify major themes. Course evaluation data was collected and analyzed. Results: Themes from student focus groups described significant challenges in striving to convey empathy: coping with anxiety due to multitasking, “buying-in” to learning empathy, and managing vulnerability when engaging emotionally. Patients appreciated students’ expression of vulnerability and nonverbal communication. Conclusion: First year medical students encounter challenges in learning empathic communication, and patients may perceive empathy from students in ways other than verbal responses. Early communications curricula should focus on assisting students with anxiety of multi-tasking, sense of vulnerability, buy-in to communications training, and the importance of non-verbal communication. Practice implications: A deliberate focus on empathetic responsiveness, especially non-verbal, might lessen anxiety, improve attentional switching, and build confidence in managing vulnerability for early medical students learning communication skills.
AB - Objective: To gain insight into first year medical students’ experiences of practicing empathic communication and how patients that train students perceive such communication, in order to inform early communication skills training. Methods: Our study consisted of four focus groups, two of year one students who completed a first semester clinical skills course, one of standardized patients, and one of volunteer outpatients. Focus group transcripts were independently coded and iteratively reviewed to identify major themes. Course evaluation data was collected and analyzed. Results: Themes from student focus groups described significant challenges in striving to convey empathy: coping with anxiety due to multitasking, “buying-in” to learning empathy, and managing vulnerability when engaging emotionally. Patients appreciated students’ expression of vulnerability and nonverbal communication. Conclusion: First year medical students encounter challenges in learning empathic communication, and patients may perceive empathy from students in ways other than verbal responses. Early communications curricula should focus on assisting students with anxiety of multi-tasking, sense of vulnerability, buy-in to communications training, and the importance of non-verbal communication. Practice implications: A deliberate focus on empathetic responsiveness, especially non-verbal, might lessen anxiety, improve attentional switching, and build confidence in managing vulnerability for early medical students learning communication skills.
KW - Anxiety
KW - Buy-in
KW - Communication
KW - Communication skills
KW - Empathy
KW - Medical education
KW - Medical student
KW - Nonverbal communication
KW - Vulnerability
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UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85050869406&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.pec.2018.07.013
DO - 10.1016/j.pec.2018.07.013
M3 - Article
C2 - 30078499
AN - SCOPUS:85050869406
SN - 0738-3991
VL - 101
SP - 2005
EP - 2010
JO - Patient Education and Counseling
JF - Patient Education and Counseling
IS - 11
ER -