Enhancing Physicians’ Empathy – A Challenge for Psychologists Working in the Medical Field
Keywords:
empathy, teaching medical students, medical educationAbstract
The article concerns the training of empathy as part of medical education. Empathy is a theoretical construct that does not have a clear definition. Literature generally draws attention to two basic components of empathy: emotional - the ability to experience emotions of another person, and cognitive - associated with the ability to adopt the perspective of other people. The results confirm that higher levels of physician empathy are associated with benefits for the doctor-patient relationship and to the process of treatment. The article discusses the results of studies on the relationships among empathy, the quality of the doctorpatient relationship, and medical education. Empathy training proposals are later presented and discussed.References
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Bonvicini, K.A., Perlin, M.J., Bylund, C.L., Carroll, G., Rouse, R.A., Goldstein, M.G. (2009). Impact of communication training on physician expression of empathy in patients encounters. Patient Education and Counseling, 75, 3-10.
Bratek, A., Bulska, W., Bonk, M., Seweryn, M., Krysta, K. (2015). Empathy among physicians, medical students and candidates. Psychiatria Danubina, 27 (1), 48-52.
Bruks, D.J., Kobus, A.M. (2012). The legacy of altruism in health care: the promotion of empathy, prosociality and humanism. Medical Education, 46 (3), 317-325.
Colliver, J.A., Conlee, M.J., Verhulst, S.J., Dorsey J. (2010). Reports of the decline of empathy during medical education are greatly exaggerated: A reexamination of the research. Academic Medicine, 85 (4), 588-593.
Dehning, S., Gasperi, S., Tesfaye, M., Girma, E., Meyer, S., Krahl, W., Riedel, W., Möller, H., Müller, N., Siebeck M. (2013). Empathy without borders? Cross-cultural heart and mind-reading in first-year medical students. Ethiopian Journal of Health Science, 23 (2), 113-122.
Di Blasi, Z., Harkness, E., Ernst, E., Georgiou, A., Kleijnen, J. (2001). Influence of context effects on health outcomes: a systematic review. The Lancet, 357 (9258), 757-762.
Duan, C., Hill, C.E. (1996). The current state of empathy research. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 43 (3), 261-274.
Halpern, J. (2014). From idealized clinical empathy to empathic communication in medical care. Medicine, Health Care and Philosophy, 17 (2), 301-311.
Harden, R.M., Stevenson, M., Downie, W.W., Wilson, G.M. (1975). Assessment of clinical competence using objective structured examination. British Medical Journal, 1 (5955),447-445.
Hojat, M., Axelrod, D., Spandorfer, J., Mangione, S. (2013). Enhancing and sustaining empathy in medical students. Medical Teacher, 35 (12), 996-1001.
Hojat, M., Gonnella, J., Nasca, T., Mangione, S., Vergare, M., Magee M. (2002). Physician empathy: definition, components, measurement, and relationship to gender and specialty. American Journal of Psychiatry, 159 (9), 1563-1569.
Kataoka, H., Koide, N., Ochi, K., Hojat, M., Gonnella, J. (2010). Measurement of empathy among Japanese medical students: psychometrics and score differences by gender and level of medical education. Academic Medicine: Journal of The Association of American Medical Colleges, 84 (9), 1192-1197.
Kliś M. (2012). Adaptacyjna rola empatii w różnych sytuacjach życiowych. Horyzonty Psychologii, 2, 147-171.
Kuper, A., D’Eon, M. (2011). Rethinking the basis of medical knowledge. Medical Education, 45 (1), 36-43.
Marangoni, C., Garcia, S., Ickes, W., Teng, G. (1995). Empathic accuracy in a clinically relevant setting. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 68 (5), 854-869.
Newton, B.W. (2013). Walking a fine line: Is it possible to remain an empathic physician and have a hardened heart? Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 7, 1-12.
Newton, B.W., Barber, L., Clardy, J., Cleveland, E., O’Sullivan, P. (2008). Is there hardening of the heart during medical school? Academic Medicine, 83 (3), 244-249.
Ogle, J., Bushnell, J.A., Caputi, P. (2013). Empathy is related to clinical competence in medical care. Medical Education, 47 (8), 824-831.
Ośrodek Studiów, Analiz i Informacji Naczelnej Izby Lekarskiej i Instytut Filozofii i Socjologii Polskiej Akademii Nauk (2012). Raport Możliwości i bariery rozwoju zawodowego lekarzy i lekarzy dentystów. Skrócona wersja raportu z badania - wyniki, wnioski i rekomendacje, Warszawa.
Pedersen, R. (2010). Empathy development in medical education: A critical review. Medical Teacher, 32 (7), 593-600.
Polskie Towarzystwo Psychologiczne (1991). Kodeks Etyczno-Zawodowy Psychologa. Pozyskano z http://www.ptp.org.pl/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=29 (Dostęp 14-września-2016).
Riess, H., Kelley, J.M., Baileys, R.W., Dunn, E.J., Phips, M. (2012). Empathy training for resident physicians: A randomized controlled trial of a neuroscience-informed curriculum. Journal of General Internal Medicine, 26 (1), 1280-1286.
Rozporządzenie Ministra Nauki i Szkolnictwa Wyższego z dnia 9 maja 2012 r. w sprawie standardów kształcenia dla kierunków studiów: lekarskiego, lekarsko-dentystycznego, farmacji, pielęgniarstwa i położnictwa, DzU 2012, poz. 631.
Smith, A. (2006). Cognitive empathy and emotional empathy in human behavior and evolution. The Psychological Record, 56 (1), 3-21.
Smith, D.D., Kellar, J., Walters, E.L., Reibling, E.T., Phan, T., Green, S.M. (2016). Does emergency physician empathy reduce thoughts of litigation? A randomised trial. Emergency Medicine Journal, 33 (8), 548-552.
Tavakol, S., Dennick, R., Tavakol, M. (2012). Medical students’ understanding of empathy: A phenomenological study. Medical Education, 46 (3), 306-316.
Thirioux, B., Birault, F., Jaafari N. (2016). Empathy is a protective factor of burnout in physicians: New neuro-phenomenological hypotheses regarding empathy and sympathy in care relationship. Frontiers in Psychology, 7, 763. DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2016.00763.
Uniwersytet Jagielloński Collegium Medicum. Trening Umiejętności Psychologicznych. Pozyskano z https://www.usosweb.uj.edu.pl/kontroler.php?_action=katalog2/przedmioty/pokazPrzedmiot&kod=WL-L6.Tren.Um.Psych (Dostęp 30-września-2016).
Uniwersytet Medyczny w Lublinie. Sylabus Psychologia Lekarska. Pozyskano z http://www.umlub.pl/studenci-i-doktoranci/sylabusy/kierunek-lekarski/sylabusy-lekarski/szukaj,kategoria:20132014-ii-wlzoa-mgr,strona:6.html (Dostęp 30-września-2016).
Walocha, E., Tomaszewska, I.M., Mizia, E. (2013). Empathy level differences between Polish surgeons and physicians. Folia Medica Cracoviensia, LIII (1), 47-54.
Warszawski Uniwersytet Medyczny. Sylabusy. Pozyskano z https://zpm.wum.edu.pl/content/ sylabusy (Dostęp 30-września-2016).
Wilczek-Rużyczka, E. (2006). Empatia a wypalenie zawodowe u pracowników ochrony zdrowia. Sztuka Leczenia, XIII (1-2), 39-49.
Wimmersa, F.P., Stubera, M.L. (2010). Assessing medical students’ empathy and attitudes towards patient-centered care with an existing clinical performance exam (OSCE). Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, 2 (2), 1911-1913.
Ziółkowska-Rudowicz, E., Kładna, A. (2010). Kształcenie empatycznych lekarzy. Część I - przegląd stosowanych metod. Polski Merkuriusz Lekarski, XXIX (172), 277-281.
Zayyan, M. (2011). Objective structured clinical examination: The assessment of choice. Oman Medical Journal, 26, 219-222.
Bętkowska-Korpała, B., Gierowski, J.K. (2007). Psychologia lekarska a profesjonalny kontakt lekarza z pacjentem. W: B. Bętkowska-Korpała, J.K. Gierowski (red.), Psychologia lekarska w leczeniu chorych somatycznie (s. 7-15). Kraków: Wydawnictwo Uniwersytetu Jagiellońskiego.
Bonvicini, K.A., Perlin, M.J., Bylund, C.L., Carroll, G., Rouse, R.A., Goldstein, M.G. (2009). Impact of communication training on physician expression of empathy in patients encounters. Patient Education and Counseling, 75, 3-10.
Bratek, A., Bulska, W., Bonk, M., Seweryn, M., Krysta, K. (2015). Empathy among physicians, medical students and candidates. Psychiatria Danubina, 27 (1), 48-52.
Bruks, D.J., Kobus, A.M. (2012). The legacy of altruism in health care: the promotion of empathy, prosociality and humanism. Medical Education, 46 (3), 317-325.
Colliver, J.A., Conlee, M.J., Verhulst, S.J., Dorsey J. (2010). Reports of the decline of empathy during medical education are greatly exaggerated: A reexamination of the research. Academic Medicine, 85 (4), 588-593.
Dehning, S., Gasperi, S., Tesfaye, M., Girma, E., Meyer, S., Krahl, W., Riedel, W., Möller, H., Müller, N., Siebeck M. (2013). Empathy without borders? Cross-cultural heart and mind-reading in first-year medical students. Ethiopian Journal of Health Science, 23 (2), 113-122.
Di Blasi, Z., Harkness, E., Ernst, E., Georgiou, A., Kleijnen, J. (2001). Influence of context effects on health outcomes: a systematic review. The Lancet, 357 (9258), 757-762.
Duan, C., Hill, C.E. (1996). The current state of empathy research. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 43 (3), 261-274.
Halpern, J. (2014). From idealized clinical empathy to empathic communication in medical care. Medicine, Health Care and Philosophy, 17 (2), 301-311.
Harden, R.M., Stevenson, M., Downie, W.W., Wilson, G.M. (1975). Assessment of clinical competence using objective structured examination. British Medical Journal, 1 (5955),447-445.
Hojat, M., Axelrod, D., Spandorfer, J., Mangione, S. (2013). Enhancing and sustaining empathy in medical students. Medical Teacher, 35 (12), 996-1001.
Hojat, M., Gonnella, J., Nasca, T., Mangione, S., Vergare, M., Magee M. (2002). Physician empathy: definition, components, measurement, and relationship to gender and specialty. American Journal of Psychiatry, 159 (9), 1563-1569.
Kataoka, H., Koide, N., Ochi, K., Hojat, M., Gonnella, J. (2010). Measurement of empathy among Japanese medical students: psychometrics and score differences by gender and level of medical education. Academic Medicine: Journal of The Association of American Medical Colleges, 84 (9), 1192-1197.
Kliś M. (2012). Adaptacyjna rola empatii w różnych sytuacjach życiowych. Horyzonty Psychologii, 2, 147-171.
Kuper, A., D’Eon, M. (2011). Rethinking the basis of medical knowledge. Medical Education, 45 (1), 36-43.
Marangoni, C., Garcia, S., Ickes, W., Teng, G. (1995). Empathic accuracy in a clinically relevant setting. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 68 (5), 854-869.
Newton, B.W. (2013). Walking a fine line: Is it possible to remain an empathic physician and have a hardened heart? Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 7, 1-12.
Newton, B.W., Barber, L., Clardy, J., Cleveland, E., O’Sullivan, P. (2008). Is there hardening of the heart during medical school? Academic Medicine, 83 (3), 244-249.
Ogle, J., Bushnell, J.A., Caputi, P. (2013). Empathy is related to clinical competence in medical care. Medical Education, 47 (8), 824-831.
Ośrodek Studiów, Analiz i Informacji Naczelnej Izby Lekarskiej i Instytut Filozofii i Socjologii Polskiej Akademii Nauk (2012). Raport Możliwości i bariery rozwoju zawodowego lekarzy i lekarzy dentystów. Skrócona wersja raportu z badania - wyniki, wnioski i rekomendacje, Warszawa.
Pedersen, R. (2010). Empathy development in medical education: A critical review. Medical Teacher, 32 (7), 593-600.
Polskie Towarzystwo Psychologiczne (1991). Kodeks Etyczno-Zawodowy Psychologa. Pozyskano z http://www.ptp.org.pl/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=29 (Dostęp 14-września-2016).
Riess, H., Kelley, J.M., Baileys, R.W., Dunn, E.J., Phips, M. (2012). Empathy training for resident physicians: A randomized controlled trial of a neuroscience-informed curriculum. Journal of General Internal Medicine, 26 (1), 1280-1286.
Rozporządzenie Ministra Nauki i Szkolnictwa Wyższego z dnia 9 maja 2012 r. w sprawie standardów kształcenia dla kierunków studiów: lekarskiego, lekarsko-dentystycznego, farmacji, pielęgniarstwa i położnictwa, DzU 2012, poz. 631.
Smith, A. (2006). Cognitive empathy and emotional empathy in human behavior and evolution. The Psychological Record, 56 (1), 3-21.
Smith, D.D., Kellar, J., Walters, E.L., Reibling, E.T., Phan, T., Green, S.M. (2016). Does emergency physician empathy reduce thoughts of litigation? A randomised trial. Emergency Medicine Journal, 33 (8), 548-552.
Tavakol, S., Dennick, R., Tavakol, M. (2012). Medical students’ understanding of empathy: A phenomenological study. Medical Education, 46 (3), 306-316.
Thirioux, B., Birault, F., Jaafari N. (2016). Empathy is a protective factor of burnout in physicians: New neuro-phenomenological hypotheses regarding empathy and sympathy in care relationship. Frontiers in Psychology, 7, 763. DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2016.00763.
Uniwersytet Jagielloński Collegium Medicum. Trening Umiejętności Psychologicznych. Pozyskano z https://www.usosweb.uj.edu.pl/kontroler.php?_action=katalog2/przedmioty/pokazPrzedmiot&kod=WL-L6.Tren.Um.Psych (Dostęp 30-września-2016).
Uniwersytet Medyczny w Lublinie. Sylabus Psychologia Lekarska. Pozyskano z http://www.umlub.pl/studenci-i-doktoranci/sylabusy/kierunek-lekarski/sylabusy-lekarski/szukaj,kategoria:20132014-ii-wlzoa-mgr,strona:6.html (Dostęp 30-września-2016).
Walocha, E., Tomaszewska, I.M., Mizia, E. (2013). Empathy level differences between Polish surgeons and physicians. Folia Medica Cracoviensia, LIII (1), 47-54.
Warszawski Uniwersytet Medyczny. Sylabusy. Pozyskano z https://zpm.wum.edu.pl/content/ sylabusy (Dostęp 30-września-2016).
Wilczek-Rużyczka, E. (2006). Empatia a wypalenie zawodowe u pracowników ochrony zdrowia. Sztuka Leczenia, XIII (1-2), 39-49.
Wimmersa, F.P., Stubera, M.L. (2010). Assessing medical students’ empathy and attitudes towards patient-centered care with an existing clinical performance exam (OSCE). Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, 2 (2), 1911-1913.
Ziółkowska-Rudowicz, E., Kładna, A. (2010). Kształcenie empatycznych lekarzy. Część I - przegląd stosowanych metod. Polski Merkuriusz Lekarski, XXIX (172), 277-281.
Zayyan, M. (2011). Objective structured clinical examination: The assessment of choice. Oman Medical Journal, 26, 219-222.
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Published
2016-12-01
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Sikora, K. ., Biegańska, J. ., & Baran, A. (2016). Enhancing Physicians’ Empathy – A Challenge for Psychologists Working in the Medical Field. Annales Universitatis Paedagogicae Cracoviensis Studia Psychologica, 9(1), 195–208. Retrieved from https://studia-psychologica.uken.krakow.pl/article/view/5632
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