scholarly journals Association between dispositional empathy and self-other distinction in Irish and Belgian medical students: a cross-sectional analysis

BMJ Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (9) ◽  
pp. e048597
Author(s):  
Henryk Bukowski ◽  
Nor Faizaah Ahmad Kamal ◽  
Deirdre Bennett ◽  
Gabriella Rizzo ◽  
Colm O'Tuathaigh
Keyword(s):  
Medical Students ◽  
Perspective Taking ◽  
Cognitive Empathy ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Cognitive Domain ◽  
Secondary Outcome ◽  
Undergraduate Medical Students ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Cross Sectional Analysis ◽  
Sectional Analysis

ObjectivePhysicians’ cognitive empathy is associated with improved diagnosis and better patient outcomes. The relationship between self-reported and performance-based measures of cognitive empathic processes is unclear.DesignCross-sectional analysis of the association between medical students’ empathy scale scores and their empathic performance in a visuospatial perspective-taking (VPT) task.ParticipantsUndergraduate medical students across two European medical schools (n=194).Primary and secondary outcome measuresTwo self-report empathy and one performance-based perspective-taking outcome: Jefferson Scale of Physician Empathy (JSPE); Empathy Quotient (EQ); Samson’s level-1 VPT task.ResultsHigher scores on the ‘standing in patient’s shoes’ subscale of the JSPE were associated with a lower congruency effect (as well as lower egocentric and altercentric biases) in the VPT (B=−0.007, 95% CI=−0.013 to 0.002, p<0.05), which reflects an association with better capacity to manage conflicting self-other perspectives, also known as self-other distinction. Lower egocentric bias was also associated with higher scores on the ‘social skills’ EQ subscale (B=−10.17, 95% CI=−17.98 to 2.36, p<0.05). Additionally, selection of a ‘technique-oriented’ clinical specialty preference was associated with a higher self-perspective advantage in the VPT, reflecting greater attentional priority given to the self-perspective.ConclusionsWe show that self-assessment scores are associated with selected performance-based indices of perspective taking, providing a more fine-grained analysis of the cognitive domain of empathy assessed in medical student empathy scales. This analysis allows us to generate new critical hypotheses about the reasons why only certain self-report empathy measures (or their subscales) are associated with physicians’ observed empathic ability.

scholarly journals Empathy variation of undergraduate medical students after early clinical contact: a cross-sectional study in China

BMJ Open ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (7) ◽  
pp. e035690
Author(s):  
Xiong Ye ◽  
Haiying Guo ◽  
Zhou Xu ◽  
Hui Xiao
Keyword(s):  
Medical Students ◽  
Early Stage ◽  
Teaching Hospitals ◽  
Secondary Outcome ◽  
First Year ◽  
Long Term Effects ◽  
Undergraduate Medical Students ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Second Year

ObjectivesEmpathy education is very important for medical students. There is little research on the influence of early clinical practice on the development of empathy and other aspects of professionalism in medical students. The aim of this study was to compare the self-reported empathy levels of first-year and second-year undergraduate medical students before and after their early clinical contact curriculum.SettingThe study was conducted at the Shanghai University of Medicine & Health Sciences, Shanghai, China.ParticipantsA total of 257 undergraduate medical students participated in the study. The 154 first-year students were studying in 10 community-based teaching hospitals, and the 103 second-year students were studying in 3 university-affiliated hospitals.Primary and secondary outcome measuresPrimary measures: the Jefferson Scale of Empathy—Student version (JSE-S) was compared between students of different sexes and in different academic years before their early clinical contact course. Secondary measures: comparisons were made after they finished the curriculum 3 weeks later.ResultsA total of 219 of 257 students responded (85.21% response rate), and 214 answers could be analysed (135 first-year and 79 second-year students; 120 female and 94 male individuals). No significant differences in the empathy scores before early clinical contact were observed between students of different sexes and in different academic years. After early clinical contact, the mean JSE-S score of the participants was significantly higher than the mean score at the beginning of the curriculum.ConclusionsEmpathy-focused training during early clinical contact can improve the empathetic capacity of undergraduate medical students. Fostering empathetic attitudes among undergraduate medical students is necessary for the early stage of their medical education. Further research is needed on the long-term effects of empathy-focused education in entry-level medical students.

scholarly journals A Cross-Sectional Analysis of Perceptions of Interprofessional Education in Medical Students

2014 ◽  
Vol 20 (2) ◽  
pp. 6-9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nina Ayala ◽  
Celia P. MacDonnell ◽  
Luba Dumenco ◽  
Richard Dollase ◽  
Paul George
Keyword(s):  
Medical Students ◽  
Interprofessional Education ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Cross Sectional Analysis ◽  
Sectional Analysis

The Association Between Exercise Behavior Regulation and Exergaming in Adolescents

2015 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 328-334 ◽  
Author(s):  
Erin K. O’Loughlin ◽  
Catherine M. Sabiston ◽  
Erika N. Dugas ◽  
Jennifer L. O’Loughlin
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Team Sports ◽  
Exercise Behavior ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Behavior Regulation ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Cross Sectional Analysis ◽  
Intrinsic Regulation ◽  
Sectional Analysis ◽  
Identified Regulation

Background:It is not known if or how exercise behavior regulations (EBRs) relate to exergaming in adolescents. The study objectives were 1) to determine if EBRs differ between adolescents who do and do not exergame; and 2) among exergamers, to describe the associations between EBRs and exergame duration, intensity, and achieving physical activity (PA) guidelines.Methods:This study was a cross-sectional analysis of data collected in mailed self-report questionnaires completed by 1243 students (mean ± SDage = 16.8 ± 0.5 years; 43% boys).Results:In girls, those who exergamed scored higher than nonexergamers on introjected (mean ± SD = 1.9 ± 1.0 vs.1.6 ± 0.9; P = .001) and identified (mean ± SD = 3.1 ± .0 vs.2.9 ± 0.9; P = .049) regulation. Exergame intensity was associated with identified regulation [OR (95% CI) = 2.2 (1.0, 4.5)], minutes exergaming per week was associated with amotivation [β (95% CI) = 0.4 (−0.0, 0.8)], and achieving guidelines was associated with external [OR (95% CI) = 3.7 (1.0, 13.4)] and identified [OR (95% CI) = 5.6 (2.0, 16.0)] regulations. In boys who exergamed, intrinsic regulation was associated with exergame duration [β (95% CI) = −0.3 (−0.6, 0.0)].Conclusions:Girls who exergame may have partially internalized exergaming as a PA behavior. Boys may prefer other types of PA such as team sports or other more traditional videogames over exergaming or they may not view exergaming as PA.

scholarly journals Effect of stroke early supported discharge on length of hospital stay: analysis from a national stroke registry

BMJ Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. e043480
Author(s):  
Rebecca J Fisher ◽  
Adrian Byrne ◽  
Niki Chouliara ◽  
Sarah Lewis ◽  
Lizz Paley ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Hospital Stay ◽  
Care Pathway ◽  
Length Of Hospital Stay ◽  
Secondary Outcome ◽  
Percentage Increase ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Cross Sectional Analysis ◽  
Early Supported Discharge ◽  
Sectional Analysis ◽  
The Impact

ObjectiveThe first observational study to investigate the impact of early supported discharge (ESD) on length of hospital stay in real-world conditions.DesignUsing historical prospective Sentinel Stroke National Audit Programme (SSNAP) data (1 January 2013–31 December 2016) and multilevel modelling, cross-sectional (2015–2016; 30 791 patients nested within 55 hospitals) and repeated cross-sectional (2013–2014 vs 2015–2016; 49 266 patients nested within 41 hospitals) analyses were undertaken.SettingHospitals were sampled across a large geographical area of England covering the West and East Midlands, the East of England and the North of England.ParticipantsStroke patients whose data were entered into the SSNAP database by hospital teams.InterventionsReceiving ESD along the patient care pathway.Primary and secondary outcome measuresLength of hospital stay.ResultsWhen adjusted for important case-mix variables, patients who received ESD on their stroke care pathway spent longer in hospital, compared with those who did not receive ESD. The percentage increase was 15.8% (95% CI 12.3% to 19.4%) for the 2015–2016 cross-sectional analysis and 18.8% (95% CI 13.9% to 24.0%) for the 2013–2014 versus 2015–2016 repeated cross-sectional analysis. On average, the increased length of hospital stay was approximately 1 day.ConclusionsThis study has shown that by comparing ESD and non-ESD patient groups matched for important patient characteristics, receiving ESD resulted in a 1-day increase in length of hospital stay. The large reduction in length of hospital stay overall, since original trials were conducted, may explain why a reduction was not observed. The longer term benefits of accessing ESD need to be investigated further.Trial registration numberhttp://www.isrctn.com/ISRCTN15568163.

scholarly journals Publication status of completed registered studies in paediatric appendicitis: a cross-sectional analysis

BMJ Open ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (7) ◽  
pp. e021684 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas Breil ◽  
Michael Boettcher ◽  
Georg F Hoffmann ◽  
Markus Ries
Keyword(s):  
Pain Management ◽  
Antibiotic Treatment ◽  
Surgical Procedures ◽  
Clinical Studies ◽  
Secondary Outcome ◽  
Selective Reporting ◽  
Controversial Issues ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Cross Sectional Analysis ◽  
Sectional Analysis

ObjectiveAppendicitis is considered the most frequent surgical emergency in children. While the management of paediatric appendicitis is evolving, the precise amount of unpublished completed trials, potentially introducing bias into meta-analyses, is unknown. Controversial issues include the appropriate choice of surgical procedures, criteria for diagnosis of appendicitis, the role of antibiotic treatment and pain management. Selective reporting may introduce bias into evidence-based clinical decision-making, and the current, precise extent of unpublished results in paediatric appendicitis is unknown. We therefore assessed the publication status of completed clinical studies involving children registered on ClinicalTrials.gov.DesignCross sectional analysis. STrengthening the Reporting of OBservational studies in Epidemiology criteria were applied for design and analysis.Setting and participantsClinicalTrials.gov was queried for completed studies which were matched to publications on ClinicalTrials.gov, PubMed or Google Scholar. If no publication could be identified, principal investigators were contacted.Interventions/exposureObservational analysis.Primary and secondary outcome measuresThe proportion of published and unpublished studies was calculated. Subgroup analysis included studies on surgical procedures, diagnosis, antibiotic treatment and pain management.ResultsOut of n=52 completed clinical studies involving children with appendicitis, n=33 (63%) were published and n=19 (37%) were unpublished. Eighty-three per cent (n=43/52) of clinical trials assessed the above-listed controversial issues. Diagnostic studies were most rigorously published (91% of trials reported), data on surgical procedures, antibiotic and pain management were less transparent. Sixty-six per cent of interventional studies and 60% of randomised studies were published. Median time-to-publication, for example, the delay between completion of the trial until public availability of the results was 24 (IQR 12–36), range 2–92 months.ConclusionDespite the importance of appendicitis in clinical practice for the paediatric surgeon, there remains scientific uncertainty due to unpublished clinical trial results with room for improvement in the future. These data are helpful in framing the shifting paradigms in paediatric appendicitis because it adds transparency to the debate.

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