1
|
Han Z, Barton KC, Ho LC, Yap KZ, Tan DSY, Lee SS, Neo CXR, Tan AHL, Boey BMY, Soon CJY, Gallagher PJ. Applying narrative medicine to prepare empathetic healthcare providers in undergraduate pharmacy education in Singapore: a mixed methods study. BMC MEDICAL EDUCATION 2024; 24:292. [PMID: 38491363 PMCID: PMC10943898 DOI: 10.1186/s12909-024-05254-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2023] [Accepted: 03/04/2024] [Indexed: 03/18/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Narrative medicine demonstrated positive impact on empathy in medicine and nursing students. However, this pedagogical approach had not been evaluated in pharmacy education. This study sought to apply and evaluate the narrative medicine approach in extending empathy in Asian undergraduate pharmacy students. METHODS Narrative medicine was applied through workshops which used narratives of people with different experiences and perspectives. First-year undergraduate pharmacy students who volunteered and attended these workshops formed the intervention group (N = 31) and the remaining first-year cohort formed the control group (N = 112). A sequential explanatory mixed methods approach was adopted in which quantitative methods were first used to measure impact on pharmacy students' empathy using the Jefferson Scale of Empathy- Health Professions Student (JSE-HPS), and qualitative methods (i.e. group interviews) were then used to assess pharmacy students' emotional responses to narratives, and the perspectives of pharmacy students and faculty of this pedagogical approach. RESULTS There was no difference in JSE-HPS scores between intervention and control groups across baseline (i.e. upon matriculation), pre-intervention, and post-intervention timepoints. Pharmacy students in the intervention group had lower scores in Factor 3 ("Standing in People's Shoes") following the intervention. Five themes, guided by internal and external factors in cognition, emerged from the Group Interviews: (1) incongruence between students' motivation and faculty's perception, (2) learning context, (3) academic context, (4) cognitive system, and (5) affective system. Themes 1, 4 and 5 referred to internal factors such as students' motivation, perceived learnings, and feelings. Themes 2 and 3 referred to external factors including workshop materials, activities, content, and facilitation. CONCLUSION This study is the first to demonstrate that pharmacy students engaged with the narrative medicine approach as narratives elicited emotional responses, exposed them to diverse perspectives, and deepened their appreciation of the importance of empathy and complexities of understanding patients' perspectives. Scaffolded educational interventions using narratives and real-life patient encounters, alongside longitudinal measurements of empathy, are necessary to bring about meaningful and sustained improvements in empathy.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Zhe Han
- Department of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Science, National University of Singapore, Block S4A, Level 3, 18 Science Drive 4, 117543, Singapore, Singapore.
| | - Keith C Barton
- Department of Curriculum and Instruction, School of Education, Indiana University, 201 N. Rose Avenue, 47405, Bloomington, IN, USA
| | - Li-Ching Ho
- Department of Curriculum and Instruction, School of Education, University of Wisconsin- Madison, 225 N. Mills Street, 53706, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Kai Zhen Yap
- Department of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Science, National University of Singapore, Block S4A, Level 3, 18 Science Drive 4, 117543, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Doreen Su-Yin Tan
- Department of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Science, National University of Singapore, Block S4A, Level 3, 18 Science Drive 4, 117543, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Shuh Shing Lee
- Center for Medical Education, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, 10 Medical Drive, 117597, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Constance Xue Rui Neo
- Department of Pharmacy, Khoo Teck Puat Hospital, 90 Yishun Central, 768828, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Amanda Han Lin Tan
- Department of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Science, National University of Singapore, Block S4A, Level 3, 18 Science Drive 4, 117543, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Brian Ming Yao Boey
- Department of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Science, National University of Singapore, Block S4A, Level 3, 18 Science Drive 4, 117543, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Charis Jia Yan Soon
- Department of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Science, National University of Singapore, Block S4A, Level 3, 18 Science Drive 4, 117543, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Paul J Gallagher
- Department of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Science, National University of Singapore, Block S4A, Level 3, 18 Science Drive 4, 117543, Singapore, Singapore
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Zhang X, Pang HF, Duan Z. Educational efficacy of medical humanities in empathy of medical students and healthcare professionals: a systematic review and meta-analysis. BMC MEDICAL EDUCATION 2023; 23:925. [PMID: 38057775 DOI: 10.1186/s12909-023-04932-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2023] [Accepted: 12/04/2023] [Indexed: 12/08/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Medical humanities education is an important part of medical education. The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of medical humanities in improving empathy among medical students and healthcare professionals. METHODS PubMed, Embase, EBSCO-ERIC, Web of Science were searched systematically for studies in the English language. The last retrieval date is May 1, 2023. Best Evidence Medical Education (BEME) Global Rating Scale and Kirkpatrick-based results were used to evaluate the quality of literature. In this study, a meta-analysis of continuous data was conducted. RESULTS The pooled results by single-arm test meta-analysis showed a benefit with medical humanities programs in empathy (SMD 1.33; 95% CI 0.69-1.96). For single-arm trials of medical humanities program interventions of less than 4 months, 4 months to 12 months, and more than one year, the standardized mean differences(SMD) between post-test and pre-test were 1.74 (P < 0.05), 1.26 (P < 0.05), and 0.13 (P = 0.46), respectively. The results showed a significant difference in the effect of medical humanities programs on male and female empathy (SMD - 1.10; 95% CI -2.08 - -0.13). The SMDs for the study of course, the course combined reflective writing, and the course combined reflective writing and practice as intervention modalities for medical humanities programs were 1.15 (P < 0.05), 1.64 (P < 0.05), and 1.50 (P < 0.05), respectively. CONCLUSION Medical humanities programs as a whole can improve the empathy of medical students and health professionals. However, different intervention durations and different intervention methods produce different intervention effects.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xin Zhang
- School of Mangement, Shanxi Medical University, TaiYuan, 030001, China
| | - Hui-Fang Pang
- Shanxi Cardiovascular Disease Hospital, TaiYuan, 030024, China
| | - Zhiguang Duan
- School of Mangement, Shanxi Medical University, TaiYuan, 030001, China.
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Makowska M, Dec-Pietrowska J, Szczepek AJ. Expectations of Polish undergraduate medical students for medical humanities classes: a survey-based pilot study. BMC MEDICAL EDUCATION 2023; 23:775. [PMID: 37853376 PMCID: PMC10585903 DOI: 10.1186/s12909-023-04771-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2023] [Accepted: 10/13/2023] [Indexed: 10/20/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Medical schools teach Medical Humanities (MH) to provide students with knowledge about the human experience related to health, illness, disease, medicine, and healthcare. Due to the previously observed negative opinions about MH courses, we examined the expectations of medical students in Poland toward humanities subjects. METHODS We conducted a voluntary, anonymous electronic survey in one medical school (single-center study) and collected data from 166 medical students. The results were analyzed by comparing continuous and categorical variables between groups (gender, year of study, previous participation in MH classes). RESULTS The students expected to learn how to communicate with patients and their families, especially about difficult topics. They also expected the classes to be active, stress-free, and without passing grades. The preferred MH teacher was a physician, although choosing a psychologist or other qualified person as an MH teacher was also popular. Previous participants in MH courses were more likely to expect such a course to be compulsory than those who had yet to attend it. CONCLUSION Considering the students' expectations when designing MH classes could increase students' satisfaction with MH courses.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Marta Makowska
- Department of Economic Psychology, Kozminski University, Jagiellońska 57, Warszawa, 03-301, Poland
| | - Joanna Dec-Pietrowska
- Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Zielona Góra, Zielona Góra, 65-046, Poland
| | - Agnieszka J Szczepek
- Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Zielona Góra, Zielona Góra, 65-046, Poland.
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, 10117, Berlin, Germany.
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
G C KB, Arjyal A, Douglas AH, Subedi M, Gongal R. Correction to: A quantitative evaluation of empathy using JSE-S Tool, before and after a Medical Humanities Module, amongst first-year medical students in Nepal. BMC MEDICAL EDUCATION 2022; 22:214. [PMID: 35351107 PMCID: PMC8966151 DOI: 10.1186/s12909-022-03266-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Krishna Bahadur G C
- Department of Community Health Sciences, Patan Academy of Health Sciences, GPO Box 26500 Ward No.5, Lalitpur Metropolitan City, Bagmati Province, Nepal
| | - Amit Arjyal
- Department of Community Health Sciences, Patan Academy of Health Sciences, GPO Box 26500 Ward No.5, Lalitpur Metropolitan City, Bagmati Province, Nepal.
| | - Amanda Helen Douglas
- Department of General Practice and Emergency Medicine, Patan Academy of Health Sciences, Lalitpur, Nepal
| | - Madhusudan Subedi
- Department of Community Health Sciences, Patan Academy of Health Sciences, GPO Box 26500 Ward No.5, Lalitpur Metropolitan City, Bagmati Province, Nepal
| | - Rajesh Gongal
- Department of Surgery, School of Medicine, Patan Academy of Health Sciences, Lalitpur, Nepal
| |
Collapse
|