Enhancing the Empathic Connection: Using Action Methods to Understand Conflicts in End-of-Life Care

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Psychology
• Communication Studies

Background:

• Empathy is crucial for patient-centered care, impacting patient satisfaction and well-being.
• Existing communication training often neglects deep empathic understanding.
• Bridging the gap between provider perspective and patient/family experience is essential.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present a novel model for enhancing empathic understanding in healthcare professionals.
• To introduce action methods from psychodrama and sociodrama for communication skills training.
• To explore methods for uncovering patients' unexpressed emotions and concerns.

Main Methods:

• Utilized action methods, specifically role-reversal and doubling, derived from psychodrama.
• Applied these techniques to simulate patient and family experiences.
• Focused on identifying hidden emotions and attitudes in patient-provider interactions.

Main Results:

• Participants reported enhanced professional experience and improved communication skills.
• Action methods were effective in revealing unspoken patient and family feelings.
• The model demonstrated value in deepening empathic connections.

Conclusions:

• Psychodrama-based action methods offer a powerful approach to cultivate empathy in healthcare.
• These techniques can improve patient-provider communication by addressing underlying emotions.
• Enhanced empathy contributes to better patient care and provider empowerment.