ArticlePEC innovation2025
The development, delivery, and evaluation of novel longitudinal empathy-focused communication skills training at a UK medical school.
Article in PEC innovation, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.
What it found
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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.
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.
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Who cites it
1 citing paper in PubMed.
- Changes in Self-Reported Empathy After a Basic Medical Communication Course Among Premedical Students: Single-Group Longitudinal Study.JMIR medical education · 2026Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
4 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Background: Empathy benefits patients and clinicians, yet medical students' empathy often declines during training. A key factor is that communication skills teaching is rarely empathy-focused, evidence-based, or longitudinal. Aim: To establish principles of best practice for training and curriculum design based on existing literature; audit our existing curriculum; and design and pilot elements of a longitudinal curriculum based on existing evidence and our experience. Methods: We audited the existing curriculum to identify gaps in empathy-focused communication training and compared our findings with systematic review evidence. Students, educators, and patient representatives developed and refined a preliminary curriculum as equal partners in co-production workshops. Results: The audit showed that empathy training was concentrated in the early years, focusing on active listening and rapport-building, with little evidence-based content or longitudinal reinforcement. Co-production workshops generated recommendations, including formative workplace-based assessments with patient feedback, structured home visits during early training, and patient advocacy experiences. A new longitudinal curriculum was developed, embedding advanced empathy skills, evidence-based positive messaging strategies, and integrated assessments throughout the clinical years. Pilot sessions using role-play with "difficult" patients showed that students and tutors better understood empathy in challenging consultations. Discussion and conclusion: We identified and addressed key gaps in empathy training using a systematic, evidence-based, co-produced approach. The resulting curriculum offers a practical, adaptable model for developing lasting empathic communication skills across medical education. Innovation: We developed a replicable model that combines longitudinal home visits, workplace-based empathy assessments with patient feedback, and integration of evidence-based communication strategies throughout the medical curriculum.
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Registered trials
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