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. 2019 Nov 28;10(4):e4-e12.
eCollection 2019 Nov.

Does watching a movie improve empathy? A cluster randomized controlled trial

Azin Ahmadzadeh  1 , Mehdi Nasr Esfahani  2 , Masoud Ahmadzad-Asl  2 , Mohammadreza Shalbafan  2 , Seyed Vahid Shariat  2
Affiliations

Does watching a movie improve empathy? A cluster randomized controlled trial

Azin Ahmadzadeh et al. Can Med Educ J. .

Abstract
in English, French

Background: We studied if watching a movie about the patient physician encounter alone or in combination with a communication skills training workshop could improve empathy score of medical students.

Methods: One hundred and thirty three medical students participated in one of the following four groups of the study. Group A: a three hour workshop (42 students); group B: watching the movie "The Doctor" (23 students); group C: watching the movie "The Doctor", then, participating in a three hour workshop the next day (22 students); group D: control group with no intervention (46 students). Participants completed Jefferson Scale of Empathy (JSE), Student Version to assess empathy score before and after the intervention, and one month later. A linear mixed effect model analyzed the effect of intervention across groups considering the effects of other significant variables.

Results: All of the three interventions had an immediate improving effect on empathy scores compared to control group. However, the improvement effect remained significant only in groups A (p=.015) and C (p=.001) one month later.

Conclusions: Watching selected movies has a significant but transient effect on empathy of students. Combining two methods of watching the movie and communication skills workshop, seems to add the beneficial effects.

Contexte: Nous avons étudié si le fait de regarder un film sur une rencontre patient-médecin seule ou en association avec un atelier de formation sur les compétences en communication pouvait améliorer le score d’empathie des étudiants en médecine.

Méthodes: Cent trente-trois étudiants en médecine ont participé à un des quatre groupes suivants de l’étude. Groupe A : un atelier de trois heures (42 étudiants); groupe B : regarder le film « Le Docteur» (23 étudiants); groupe C : regarder le film « Le médecin » et ensuite participer à un atelier de trois heures le jour suivant (22 étudiants); groupe D : groupe témoin sans intervention (46 étudiants). Les participants ont rempli l’échelle d’empathie de Jefferson (JSE), version étudiante, pour évaluer le score d’empathie avant et après l’intervention, ainsi qu’un mois plus tard. Un modèle d’effet mixte linéaire a analysé l’effet de l’intervention parmi les groupes en tenant compte des effets d’autres variables significatives.

Résultats: Les trois interventions ont un effet d’amélioration immédiate sur les scores d’empathie comparativement au groupe témoin. Toutefois, un mois plus tard, l’effet d’amélioration n’était resté significatif que dans les groupes A (p = 0,015) et C (p = 0,001).

Conclusions: Regarder des films sélectionnés a eu un effet significatif, mais transitoire sur l’empathie des étudiants. Combiner les deux méthodes, regarder le film et suivre un atelier sur les compétences en communication, semble ajouter les effets bénéfiques.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Flow diagram of the trial showing 133 participants allocating to study arms and their progress through difference stages of the trial
Figure 2
Figure 2
Changes observed in JSE score at three time points before and after the intervention and one month later on 133 medical students.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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