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Changes in Self-Reported Empathy After a Basic Medical Communication Course Among Premedical Students: Single-Group
1College of Medicine, Jeonbuk National University, Jeonju-si, Jeonbuk-do, Republic of Korea.
JMIR Medical Education
|May 26, 2026
Summary
A medical communication course improved premedical students' self-reported empathy and confidence in applying it, with benefits sustained six months later. These improvements in empathy (emotional and cognitive) were consistent across genders.
Area of Science:
- Medical Education
- Psychology
- Communication Studies
Background:
- Empathy is crucial for patient-centered care but can decline during medical training.
- Longitudinal data on the persistence of empathy development interventions are limited, especially in non-Western contexts.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess changes in self-reported empathy (overall, emotional, cognitive) and confidence in applying empathy among Korean premedical students.
- To examine if these empathy changes persist six months post-intervention.
- To explore potential gender differences in empathy score trajectories.
Main Methods:
- A single-group longitudinal study involving premedical students.
- Measurement of self-reported empathy using the Korean student version of the Jefferson Scale of Empathy at baseline, immediately after, and six months after a communication course.
- Assessment of confidence in applying empathy in daily life and physician-patient relationships.
- Statistical analysis using repeated-measures and mixed-design repeated-measures ANOVAs.
Main Results:
- Overall, emotional, and cognitive self-reported empathy scores significantly increased post-course and remained elevated at six months.
- Confidence in applying empathy in daily life also showed sustained improvement.
- Female students reported higher overall empathy scores than male students, but gender did not significantly impact empathy trajectories over time.
Conclusions:
- A basic medical communication course positively impacts premedical students' self-reported empathy and confidence, with sustained effects at six months.
- The findings suggest communication training can be an effective tool for fostering empathy in future physicians.
- Further controlled studies are recommended to confirm the sustained and independent effects of such communication courses.
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