Objective To evaluate outcomes of empathy training in medical students, and to provide empirical evidence to the comprehensive training of doctor-patient communication skill. Methods A parallel group controlled trial was implemented in this study. Participants included 64 junior students in eight-year- program. They were assigned to be intervention group (n=34) or control group (n=30). In addition to the traditional teaching as that in control group, the intervention group received six-hour empathy training. During the study period, the two groups received equal number of classes. Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI) and Center for Epidemiological Survey Depression Scale (CES-D) were adopted to evaluate empathy (perspective taking, empathy concern et al), depressive symptoms and positive emotion of medical students respectively before and one week after the training. Results Except that participants in intervention group are slightly older than that in the control group, there is no statistically significant difference in gender, empathy, depressive symptoms and positive emotion scores between the two groups (all P>0.05); There is no statistically significant difference in empathy, depressive symptoms, and positive emotion scores between baseline and one week after training in intervention group or control group (all P>0.05); Male participants receiving empathy training had a significantly increase in positive emotion score as comparing to the baseline (baseline: 8.23±2.72, post intervention: 8.89±2.72, t=-2.126, P=0.039). Female participants receiving empathy training had a significantly increase in perspective taking score as comparing to (before training: 11.26±2.91, after training: 12.48±4.05, t=-2.634, P=0.013); There is no statistically significant difference in male or female participants in control group in the field of perspective taking, empathy concern, depressive symptoms, and positive emotion scores (all P>0.05). Conclusions The empathy training does have effect on the improvement of perspective taking, emotional state of medical students. However, further research is still needed for longer observation and larger sample size.
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