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Berney A, Carrard V, Berney S, Schlegel K, Gaume J, Gholam M, Bart PA, Preisig M, Wac K, Schmid Mast M, Bourquin C. Study protocol for the ETMED-L project: longitudinal study of mental health and interpersonal competence of medical students in a Swiss university using a comprehensive framework of empathy. BMJ Open 2021; 11:e053070. [PMID: 34862292 PMCID: PMC8647527 DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2021-053070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2021] [Accepted: 10/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Physician interpersonal competence is crucial for patient care. How interpersonal competence develops during undergraduate medical education is thus a key issue. Literature on the topic consists predominantly of studies on empathy showing a trend of decline over the course of medical school. However, most existing studies have focused on narrow measures of empathy. The first aim of this project is to study medical students' interpersonal competence with a comprehensive framework of empathy that includes self-reported cognitive and affective empathy, performance-based assessments of emotion recognition accuracy, and a behavioural dimension of empathy. The second aim of the present project is to investigate the evolution of mental health during medical school and its putative link to the studied components of interpersonal competence. Indeed, studies documented a high prevalence of mental health issues among medical students that could potentially impact their interpersonal competence. Finally, this project will enable to test the impact of mental health and interpersonal competence on clinical skills as evaluated by experts and simulated patients. METHODS AND ANALYSIS This project consists of an observational longitudinal study with an open cohort design. Each year during the four consecutive years of the project, every medical student (curriculum years 1-6) of the University of Lausanne in Switzerland will be asked to complete an online questionnaire including several interpersonal competence and mental health measures. Clinical skills assessments from examinations and training courses with simulated patients will also be included. Linear mixed models will be used to explore the longitudinal evolutions of the studied components of interpersonal competence and mental health as well as their reciprocal relationship and their link to clinical skills. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION The project has received ethical approval from the competent authorities. Findings will be disseminated through internal, regional, national and international conferences, news and peer-reviewed journals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandre Berney
- Psychiatric Liaison Service, Lausanne University Hospital, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Faculty of Biology and Medicine, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Valerie Carrard
- Psychiatric Liaison Service, Lausanne University Hospital, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Faculty of Biology and Medicine, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Sylvie Berney
- Faculty of Biology and Medicine, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Service of General Psychiatry, Lausanne University Hospital, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Katja Schlegel
- Institute of Psychology, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Jacques Gaume
- Faculty of Biology and Medicine, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Alcohol Treatment Centre, Lausanne University Hospital, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Mehdi Gholam
- Institute of Mathematics, EPFL, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Pierre-Alexandre Bart
- Faculty of Biology and Medicine, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Department of Internal Medicine, Lausanne University Hospital, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Martin Preisig
- Faculty of Biology and Medicine, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Centre for Psychiatric Epidemiology and Psychopathology, Lausanne University Hospital, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Katarzyna Wac
- Department of Computer Science, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Marianne Schmid Mast
- Department of Organizational Behavior, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Céline Bourquin
- Psychiatric Liaison Service, Lausanne University Hospital, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Faculty of Biology and Medicine, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
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Carrard V, Bourquin C, Orsini S, Schmid Mast M, Berney A. Virtual patient simulation in breaking bad news training for medical students. PATIENT EDUCATION AND COUNSELING 2020; 103:1435-1438. [PMID: 32019697 DOI: 10.1016/j.pec.2020.01.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2019] [Revised: 01/27/2020] [Accepted: 01/28/2020] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The present study explores students' perspective on the added value of a virtual patient (VP) simulation as part of a breaking bad news training in undergraduate medical education. METHODS The VP simulation allows trying out and practicing different ways of disclosing a cancer diagnosis to a VP (avatar) and to react to emotionally-laden patient statements with the opportunity of self-observation through video recording. After testing the simulation, 23 students shared their experience in focus groups analyzed using thematic analysis. RESULTS Self-observation is the most valued feature of the simulation, because it enables users to reflect on their behaviors and adjust them. The competences developed are otherwise technical (e.g., organization of information) and concern less interactional competences. Areas for improvement of the simulation are the interactivity, quality, and diversity of the VPs. CONCLUSION The findings show that VP simulations help develop technical communication competences and are best suited as add-ons to other forms of training, in which relational aspects can be targeted. Self-observation is especially valued because it allows for a critical view regarding one's own communication behaviors in a stress-free environment. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS The proposed simulation is beneficial as an add-on to lectures, supervision, and simulated patient interviews.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valerie Carrard
- Psychiatric Liaison Service, Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Céline Bourquin
- Psychiatric Liaison Service, Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Sandy Orsini
- Psychiatric Liaison Service, Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Marianne Schmid Mast
- Department of Organizational Behavior, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Alexandre Berney
- Psychiatric Liaison Service, Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV), Lausanne, Switzerland.
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Carrard V, Bourquin C, Stiefel F, Schmid Mast M, Berney A. Undergraduate training in breaking bad news: A continuation study exploring the patient perspective. Psychooncology 2019; 29:398-405. [DOI: 10.1002/pon.5276] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2019] [Revised: 10/14/2019] [Accepted: 10/23/2019] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Valerie Carrard
- Psychiatric Liaison Service Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV) Lausanne Switzerland
| | - Céline Bourquin
- Psychiatric Liaison Service Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV) Lausanne Switzerland
| | - Friedrich Stiefel
- Psychiatric Liaison Service Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV) Lausanne Switzerland
| | - Marianne Schmid Mast
- Department of Organizational Behavior University of Lausanne Lausanne Switzerland
| | - Alexandre Berney
- Psychiatric Liaison Service Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV) Lausanne Switzerland
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Berney A, Bourquin C. Enseignement prégradué à la communication clinique : la situation emblématique de l’annonce de diagnostic en oncologie. PSYCHO-ONCOLOGIE 2018. [DOI: 10.3166/pson-2018-0017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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