Applying narrative medicine to prepare empathetic healthcare providers in undergraduate pharmacy education in Singapore: a mixed methods study
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 unde...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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BMC
2024-03-01
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| Series: | BMC Medical Education |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-024-05254-z |
| _version_ | 1797259191916691456 |
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| author | Zhe Han Keith C. Barton Li-Ching Ho Kai Zhen Yap Doreen Su-Yin Tan Shuh Shing Lee Constance Xue Rui Neo Amanda Han Lin Tan Brian Ming Yao Boey Charis Jia Yan Soon Paul J. Gallagher |
| author_facet | Zhe Han Keith C. Barton Li-Ching Ho Kai Zhen Yap Doreen Su-Yin Tan Shuh Shing Lee Constance Xue Rui Neo Amanda Han Lin Tan Brian Ming Yao Boey Charis Jia Yan Soon Paul J. Gallagher |
| author_sort | Zhe Han |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | 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. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-24T23:05:31Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-09f0c597bbbd432ea5301f00c8d8c4f5 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1472-6920 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-24T23:05:31Z |
| publishDate | 2024-03-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | BMC Medical Education |
| spelling | doaj.art-09f0c597bbbd432ea5301f00c8d8c4f52024-03-17T12:29:23ZengBMCBMC Medical Education1472-69202024-03-0124111210.1186/s12909-024-05254-zApplying narrative medicine to prepare empathetic healthcare providers in undergraduate pharmacy education in Singapore: a mixed methods studyZhe Han0Keith C. Barton1Li-Ching Ho2Kai Zhen Yap3Doreen Su-Yin Tan4Shuh Shing Lee5Constance Xue Rui Neo6Amanda Han Lin Tan7Brian Ming Yao Boey8Charis Jia Yan Soon9Paul J. Gallagher10Department of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Science, National University of SingaporeDepartment of Curriculum and Instruction, School of Education, Indiana UniversityDepartment of Curriculum and Instruction, School of Education, University of Wisconsin– MadisonDepartment of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Science, National University of SingaporeDepartment of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Science, National University of SingaporeCenter for Medical Education, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of SingaporeDepartment of Pharmacy, Khoo Teck Puat HospitalDepartment of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Science, National University of SingaporeDepartment of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Science, National University of SingaporeDepartment of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Science, National University of SingaporeDepartment of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Science, National University of SingaporeAbstract 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.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-024-05254-zEmpathyNarrative medicineNarrativesPharmacy educationPharmacistPedagogical design |
| spellingShingle | Zhe Han Keith C. Barton Li-Ching Ho Kai Zhen Yap Doreen Su-Yin Tan Shuh Shing Lee Constance Xue Rui Neo Amanda Han Lin Tan Brian Ming Yao Boey Charis Jia Yan Soon Paul J. Gallagher Applying narrative medicine to prepare empathetic healthcare providers in undergraduate pharmacy education in Singapore: a mixed methods study BMC Medical Education Empathy Narrative medicine Narratives Pharmacy education Pharmacist Pedagogical design |
| title | Applying narrative medicine to prepare empathetic healthcare providers in undergraduate pharmacy education in Singapore: a mixed methods study |
| title_full | Applying narrative medicine to prepare empathetic healthcare providers in undergraduate pharmacy education in Singapore: a mixed methods study |
| title_fullStr | Applying narrative medicine to prepare empathetic healthcare providers in undergraduate pharmacy education in Singapore: a mixed methods study |
| title_full_unstemmed | Applying narrative medicine to prepare empathetic healthcare providers in undergraduate pharmacy education in Singapore: a mixed methods study |
| title_short | Applying narrative medicine to prepare empathetic healthcare providers in undergraduate pharmacy education in Singapore: a mixed methods study |
| title_sort | applying narrative medicine to prepare empathetic healthcare providers in undergraduate pharmacy education in singapore a mixed methods study |
| topic | Empathy Narrative medicine Narratives Pharmacy education Pharmacist Pedagogical design |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-024-05254-z |
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