ArticleBMC medical education2025
Cinema as a pedagogical tool for empathy training in dental education: a qualitative study.
Article in BMC medical education, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.
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Who cites it
1 citing paper in PubMed.
- Empathy dimensions and patient-centered care during dental training: a cross-sectional study.BMC medical education · 2026Article
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4 authors.
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Abstract
backgroundEmpathy is a crucial component of effective patient-centred care and an essential skill for healthcare professionals. Integrating arts and humanities perspectives into health professions education offers substantial value in cultivating empathy. Cinema education has shown promise in enhancing empathy and emotional intelligence across healthcare disciplines, yet it is underexplored in dental curricula. This qualitative study addresses a critical gap in dental education by exploring cinema education as an innovative approach to empathy development and incorporation into dental curricula.
methodsThis qualitative study involved 29 fourth-semester Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS) students at IMU University, Malaysia, who participated in a 10-week cinema education intervention. Students were recruited through convenience sampling from those who selected the cinema education module as a selective course option. The intervention included six movie sessions featuring carefully selected movie clips demonstrating empathic healthcare interactions. This was followed by facilitated discussions and interactive activities, including empathy mapping, role playing, and reflective exercises. Data was collected through five focus group discussions lasting 60 to 90 min each. All sessions were audio recorded and transcribed verbatim. Data analysis followed Braun and Clarke's six-phase thematic analysis approach. The film selection process was grounded in Social Cognitive Theory and Transportation Theory to maximize observational learning and narrative engagement.
resultsFive main themes emerged from the analysis, which included perceived impact of the module, acceptance of the module, perception of the module, suggestions for future modules, and other topics. Students reported enhanced understanding and practice of empathy, with improved ability to recognize and respond to patients' emotions and appreciate different perspectives. All participants unanimously endorsed empathy education as essential in dental curricula. Students appreciated the refreshing and meaningful nature of the module, finding it valuable for developing communication skills, active listening, nonverbal communication awareness, and cultural competence. Participants suggested early introduction in the curriculum with reinforcement during clinical years, more dentistry specific scenarios, and inclusion of diverse patient populations.
conclusionsCinema education emerged as a valuable, resource-efficient approach to developing empathy in dental students, demonstrating potential effectiveness. Students' positive perception and acceptance suggest strong feasibility for curriculum integration.
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