Evidence map›Paper›PMID 31484525›Full record

ArticleBMC medical education2019

"It is through body language and looks, but it is also a feeling" - a qualitative study on medical interns' experience of empathy.

Johanna von Knorring, Olof Semb, Martin Fahlström, Arja Lehti

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in BMC medical education, 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

4 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
  3. Article
  4. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors.

Johanna von KnorringUnit of Professional Development, Department of Clinical Sciences, Umeå University, SE-90187, Umeå, Sweden. johanna.von.knorring@umu.se.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-9508-868X
Olof SembUnit of Professional Development, Department of Clinical Sciences, Umeå University, SE-90187, Umeå, Sweden.
Martin FahlströmUnit of Professional Development, Department of Clinical Sciences, Umeå University, SE-90187, Umeå, Sweden.
Arja LehtiUnit of Professional Development, Department of Clinical Sciences, Umeå University, SE-90187, Umeå, Sweden.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundEmpathy has long been recognized as a fundamental part of the professionalism of doctors and is considered to be both necessary and beneficial to doctor-patient relationships, although empathy is notoriously difficult to define and measure. Previous research on empathy has mostly consisted of quantitative studies measuring and evaluating empathy levels in students or medical residents. The aim of our qualitative study was to explore the lived experience of empathy among medical interns in Sweden.

methodWe interviewed 16 medical interns, using semi-structured interviews. Content analysis was used to analyse the interviews.

resultsThe analysis led to the emergence of a main theme of empathy as being multifaceted and conflictual, consisting of descriptions (subthemes) of "being" and "doing"; of being uncontrollable and contextual; biased and situated and essential and conflictual. Since the components of empathy were also found to be interwoven, to provide a more holistic presentation of the results, we applied a socio-ecological model to the results inspired by Bronfenbrenner.

conclusionsWe concluded that empathy is situated and contextual. By using the socioecological model empathy can be described as a systemic interaction between doctor and patient. Based on this we propose a more holistic approach to empathy in medical education to better prepare students for clinical practice.

Indexed as

EmpathyInternship and ResidencyKinesicsStudents, MedicalAttitude of Health PersonnelHumansPhysician-Patient RelationsProfessionalismQualitative ResearchSwedenEmpathyMedical educationProfessionalism

Identifiers

PMID31484525
PMCPMC6727522

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.