"That's a child, it's not a diagnosis." What can paediatricians learn from medical humanities?: a mixed methods study

This article was migrated. The article was marked as recommended. Objective:The aim of this study was to evaluate UK paediatric specialist trainees' perceptions of a medical humanities teaching session on their communication and empathy skills. Methods: A medical humanities session was incorporated into a teaching programme for 19 doctors in their first three years of paediatric training. Using set questions, participants discussed themes of communication, empathy, ethical issues and language. A qualitative methodology was adopted for the evaluation. All doctors who undertook the session were invited to join in a digitally recorded focus group and nine participated. Thematic analysis of the transcript was undertaken by two researchers to identify and code key themes. Six months post-course all participants were invited to complete an online survey looking at the longer-term impact of the session and five responded. Results:Coding of the transcript identified two key themes that participants felt the session added to their usual teaching: i) communication and ii) reflection. Conclusion:Literature-based teaching for junior paediatric doctors was well received and valued by participants and adds to standard teaching. It provides a platform for consideration of the parental perspective and communication (in particular the use of language) as well as providing structured time for reflection on clinical experiences.