Background: Empathy is a core physician competency associated with improved patient satisfaction, adherence, and clinical outcomes. Empathy Lab is an experiential assignment, designed by course director Dr. Mary Wilde, within Interprofessional Education at RVU. Students completed two activities of their choice to support the preservation and development of empathy amid the demands of medical training. This report evaluates OMS-I perceptions of their engagement in Empathy Lab activities.
Method: Student experiences (n = 243) were assessed using surveys containing reflections and Likert-scale questions. Items measured were: manageability of the activities, connection to Interprofessional Education Collaborative competencies (IPECC), and perceived contribution to becoming a more caring provider. A de novo scale was created to analyze qualitative responses to identify themes related to empathy, self-awareness, and professional growth. One-way ANOVAs were conducted to compare outcomes across each activity. Significant effects were followed by Bonferroni-adjusted pairwise t-tests.
Results: Manageability did not differ across activities (p = .163) and was rated moderately high overall (M = 3.83/5, SD = 1.11). Activity connection to IPECC varied significantly (p < .001), with trauma-informed care highest and renewal lowest. Perceived contribution to becoming a more caring provider also differed (p < .005), with book reading highest and renewal lowest. Findings are limited by self-reported data and a cross-sectional design.
Conclusion: Empathy Lab activities differentially impacted connection to IPECC and perceived development as caring providers. These findings support incorporating diverse empathy-focused interventions in medical education, though further study with objective measures is needed.
Method: Student experiences (n = 243) were assessed using surveys containing reflections and Likert-scale questions. Items measured were: manageability of the activities, connection to Interprofessional Education Collaborative competencies (IPECC), and perceived contribution to becoming a more caring provider. A de novo scale was created to analyze qualitative responses to identify themes related to empathy, self-awareness, and professional growth. One-way ANOVAs were conducted to compare outcomes across each activity. Significant effects were followed by Bonferroni-adjusted pairwise t-tests.
Results: Manageability did not differ across activities (p = .163) and was rated moderately high overall (M = 3.83/5, SD = 1.11). Activity connection to IPECC varied significantly (p < .001), with trauma-informed care highest and renewal lowest. Perceived contribution to becoming a more caring provider also differed (p < .005), with book reading highest and renewal lowest. Findings are limited by self-reported data and a cross-sectional design.
Conclusion: Empathy Lab activities differentially impacted connection to IPECC and perceived development as caring providers. These findings support incorporating diverse empathy-focused interventions in medical education, though further study with objective measures is needed.