Evidence map›Paper›PMID 32978187›Full record

SynthesisBMJ open2020

Assessing the effect of empathy-enhancing interventions in health education and training: a systematic review of randomised controlled trials.

Rachel Winter, Eyad Issa, Nia Roberts, Robert I Norman, Jeremy Howick

Erratum issuedAbstract readMeta-AnalysisSystematic Review
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in BMJ open, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. An erratum has been issued. Cited by 47 papers, 7 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
47citing papers in PubMed, 7 pooled it
–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

47 citing papers in PubMed, 7 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

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  12. Emergency Ambulance Healthcare for People With Intellectual Disabilities: A Scoping Review.Journal of applied research in intellectual disabilities : JARID · 2026
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors.

Rachel WinterCollege of Life Sciences, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK rw205@le.ac.uk.ORCID 0000-0002-8775-2461
Eyad IssaCollege of Life Sciences, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK.
Nia RobertsBodleian Health Care Libraries, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
Robert I NormanCollege of Life Sciences, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK.
Jeremy HowickFaculty of Philosophy, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectiveTo estimate the effect of empathy interventions in health education and training from randomised controlled trials (RCTs).

methodsMEDLINE, PsycINFO, EMBASE, CINAHL and Cochrane databases were searched from inception to June 2019 for RCTs investigating the effect of empathy-enhancing interventions in medical and healthcare students and professionals. Studies measuring any aspect of 'clinical empathy' as a primary or secondary outcome were included. Two reviewers extracted data and assessed the risk of bias of eligible studies using the Cochrane Risk of Bias Tool. Random effects meta-analyses of the impact of empathy training on participants' empathy levels were performed.

resultsTwenty-six trials were included, with 22 providing adequate data for meta-analysis. An overall moderate effect on participant empathy postintervention (standardised mean difference 0.52, 95% CI 0.36 to 0.67) was found. Heterogeneity across trial results was substantial (I

conclusionFindings suggest that empathy-enhancing interventions can be effective at cultivating and sustaining empathy with intervention specifics contributing to effectiveness. This review focuses on an important, growing area of medical education and provides guidance to those looking to develop effective interventions to enhance empathy in the healthcare setting. Further high-quality trials are needed that include patient-led outcome assessments and further evaluate the long-term sustainability of empathy training. PROTOCOL REGISTRATION NUMBER: PROSPERO (CRD42019126843).

Indexed as

EmpathyHealth EducationEatingHumanseducation & training (see medical education & training)medical education & trainingstatistics & research methods

Identifiers

PMID32978187
PMCPMC7520826

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY-NC
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.