Role of a Semiotics-Based Curriculum in Empathy Enhancement: A Longitudinal Study in Three Dominican Medical Schools.

Montserrat San-Martín,Luis Vivanco,Roberto Delgado-Bolton

doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2017.02018

Montserrat San-Martín, Luis Vivanco + Show 1 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2017.02018

Copy DOI

Abstract

Background: Empathy in the context of patient care is defined as a predominantly cognitive attribute that involves an understanding of the patient’s experiences, concerns, and perspectives, combined with a capacity to communicate this understanding and an intention to help. In medical education, it is recognized that empathy can be improved by interventional approaches. In this sense, a semiotic-based curriculum could be an important didactic tool for improving medical empathy. The main purpose of this study was to determine if in medical schools where a semiotic-based curriculum is offered, the empathetic orientation of medical students improves as a consequence of the acquisition and development of students’ communication skills that are required in clinician–patient encounters.Design: This quasi-experimental study was conducted in three medical schools of the Dominican Republic that offer three different medical curricula: (i) a theoretical and practical semiotic-based curriculum; (ii) a theoretical semiotic-based curriculum; and (iii) a curriculum without semiotic courses. The Jefferson scale of empathy was administered in two different moments to students enrolled in pre-clinical cycles of those institutions. Data was subjected to comparative statistical analysis and logistic regression analysis.Results: The study included 165 students (55 male and 110 female). Comparison analysis showed statistically significant differences in the development of empathy among groups (p < 0.001). Logistic regression confirmed that gender, age, and a semiotic-based curriculum contributed toward the enhancement of empathy.Conclusion: These findings demonstrate the importance of medical semiotics as a didactic teaching method for improving beginners’ empathetic orientation in patients’ care.

Highlights

Professionalism refers to the set of skills and values that, in the case of medicine, characterize the essence of humanism in professional work
The main purpose of this study was to determine if in medical schools where a semiotic-based curriculum is offered, the empathetic orientation of medical students improves as a consequence of the acquisition and development of students’ communication skills that are required in clinician–patient encounters
Logistic regression confirmed that gender, age, and a semiotic-based curriculum contributed toward the enhancement of empathy

Summary

Introduction

Professionalism refers to the set of skills and values that, in the case of medicine, characterize the essence of humanism in professional work. When clinicians establish empathic relationships with their patients, those basic human needs are fulfilled (Hojat et al, 2003; Soler-Gonzalez et al, 2017). Communication of this understanding is a behavioral aspect of this empathic engagement. It is recognized that empathy can be improved by interventional approaches In this sense, a semiotic-based curriculum could be an important didactic tool for improving medical empathy. The main purpose of this study was to determine if in medical schools where a semiotic-based curriculum is offered, the empathetic orientation of medical students improves as a consequence of the acquisition and development of students’ communication skills that are required in clinician–patient encounters

Objectives

Results

Conclusion