OBJECTIVES: At the conclusion of this session, participants will be better able to:
(1) Discuss the importance of physician empathy as it applies to better patient outcomes.
(2) Identify innovative ways to incorporate empathy components into traditional CME activities.
(3) Provide a forum of exchanging ideas amongst the various stakeholders.
empathy has been viewed as a concept
that is difficult to define
and hard to measure
empathy almost always leads to positive clinical outcomes,
while sympathy in excess will be detrimental to objectivity in clinical decision making
empathy is...
cognitive (rather than emotional)
understanding (rather than feeling) of experiences,
concerns and perspectives of the patient
combined with a capacity to communicate this
understanding
Dr. Mohammadreza Hojat
Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior
Thomas Jefferson University
Thomas Jefferson Medical School
Philadelphia, PA
Traditional Approaches
- role playing
- audio/video encounters with patients
- patient shadowing
- improving interpersonal skills
Jefferson Empathy Scale
- designed to measure empathy among physicians, health professionals, and medical students
- self-administered, 20- item paper & pencil test
- answered on a 7-point Likert scale
- completed in 5-10 minutes
- translated into 38 languages
correlated with higher clinical competence and improved patient outcomes
shown to be an effective way to improve patient compliance
“A problem that is well understood is a problem that is half solved.”
Non-Traditional Approaches Through
Immersive Experiences
An immersive experience is a good story married to technology
Restless Leg Syndrome Simulator
How can we apply this technique in medical education?
The Importance of Physician Empathy
Improving Patient Outcomes with Innovative Sensory Experiences
(the art of medicine)
standardized patients
Peter E. Raymond
Human Condition
Senior Fellow - Thomas Jefferson University
School of Population Health
Competency 2.9
Provide interactive learning and opportunities to practice skills that lead to change in physician
performance
Cathy Pagano, CCMEP
Institute for Continuing Healthcare Education
(nothing to disclose)
Words synonymous with "empathy"
HFX Pod: NYHA Class 2 Congestive Heart Failure Simulator
Metrics & Outcomes
understanding the significance of illness
and how it takes place in the context of their life
It is NOT about “being nice to the patient"
empathy vs sympathy
Christine O’Leary, Pharm.D, BCPS, CCMEP
Institute for Continuing Healthcare Education
volunteers needed
bridge between science and the art of medicine
Ophthalmic Conditions
Pain Scale
Alzheimer's
Autism
Oncology
Schizophrenia
Step Inside a MS - Use case
RA glove – Nursing education - tasks