Can teaching serious illness communication skills foster multidimensional empathy? A mixed-methods study.

BACKGROUND: To investigate the impact of a serious illness communication skills training course on medical students' attitudes regarding clinical empathy, self-efficacy in empathic communication, and learning on different dimensions of empathy. METHODS: A mixed-methods design was used. A blended learning Serious Illness Communication Skills Training (SI-CST) course was delivered to sixth-year medical students. Students (n=185) completed questionnaires with the 20-item Jefferson Scale of Empathy (JSE) and self-rated preparedness level for five empathic communication tasks at baseline (T1), six weeks (T2), and three-to-six months post-training (T3). Written reflections on key lessons learned were analyzed using inductive thematic analysis. RESULTS: Total JSE scores significantly improved from T1 to T2 (111.4 vs 113.9, P=.01) and from T1 to T3 (111.4 vs 113.9, P=.01). There was an increase in Standing in Patient's Shoes subscale of the JSE with an effect size of 0.56 whereas the Perspective-Taking and Compassionate Care subscales showed no significant changes. Self-rated preparedness for all five empathic communication tasks significantly improved from T1 to T2 (P ≤ .001) and from T1 to T3 (P ≤ .001) with large effect sizes (1.09-1.41). Four key themes emerged from the qualitative analysis. They were appreciating the important role of empathy in clinical care (moral empathy), learning skills in detecting and understanding patient emotions (cognitive empathy), learning skills in responding to emotion with empathy (behavioral empathy), and appreciating that communication skills can be improved with continual practice and self-reflection. CONCLUSIONS: Our results revealed that SI-CST improved medical students' empathic attitudes and self-efficacy in empathic communication. Qualitative results found learning on the cognitive, behavioral and moral dimensions of empathy.

Using a Machine Learning Architecture to Create an AI-Powered Chatbot for Anatomy Education.

Artificial Intelligence chatbots allow interactive dialogue-driven teaching of medical sciences. Open-source tools allow educators to adapt existing technology to create intelligent learning systems. We utilised an open-source machine learning architecture and fine-tuned it with a customised database to train an AI dialogue system to teach medical students anatomy.

Informal and Formal Peer Teaching in the Medical School Ecosystem: Perspectives From a Student-Teacher Team.

These personal views, drawn from the experiences of a medical student and a medical school lecturer, advocate caution of the current trend for formal adoption of peer teaching into medical school curricula. Using a metaphor from physics, we highlight the need for cautious deeper exploration of the informal world of peer-teaching in medical schools, which is a complex part of the educational ecosystem, prior to incorporating such activities into faculty-led initiatives. We support a measured approach to the introduction of compulsory peer-teaching activities given the recognized theoretical and pedagogical benefits.

Using Crowdsourcing to Develop a Peer-Led Intervention for Safer Dating App Use: Pilot Study.

BACKGROUND: Smartphone-based dating apps are rapidly transforming how people seek potential sexual and romantic partners. However, they can also increase the risk of unsafe sexual behaviors, harassment, and infringement of personal privacy. Current research on interventions for safer dating app use remains insufficient. OBJECTIVE: The goal of this study was to describe the development of an intervention for safer dating app usage using crowdsourcing and peer-led approaches. METHODS: This paper describes the development of an intervention program designed to promote safer dating app use among college students. Crowdsourcing and peer-led approaches were adopted during key stages of the development process. Focus group discussions were held to assess the experience and needs of dating app users. A crowdsourcing contest then solicited ideas for performance objectives for the intervention. These objectives were grouped to further identify practical strategies. A one-day intensive workshop was subsequently held with peer mentors to brainstorm ideas for the production of creative interventional materials. The intervention programs were produced and tested in a pilot study. The app's effectiveness will be evaluated in a cluster randomized controlled trial. RESULTS: The intervention program consists of a risk assessment tool, a first-person scenario game, and four short videos. The risk assessment tool, comprised of 14 questions, will give the participant a score to determine their level of risk of adverse events when using dating apps. The scenario game is a first-person simulation game where the players are presented with choices when faced with different scenarios. The short videos each last 2-4 minutes, with points of discussion aimed at addressing the risks of using dating apps. The programs were piloted and were found to be relatable and helpful when further modifications were made. CONCLUSIONS: Potential challenges identified during the development process included data management and analysis, sustaining peer mentors' interests and participation, and balancing between providing more information and perpetuating social stigma around dating app use. By integrating new approaches, such as crowdsourcing and the peer-led approach, in developing an intervention for safer dating app use, our development process provides a viable model for developing future interventions to address the risks associated with dating app use.

Impact of training for general practitioners on their mental health services: The Hong Kong experience.

METHOD: A questionnaire survey was conducted among GPs. Of the 516 respondents, 76 (14.7%) had attended a one­year postgraduate mental health training course. RESULTS: The GPs with mental health training saw significantly more patients with mental health problems per week (median class 11-15 versus 6-10) and treated a higher percentage of patients with mental health problems (median class 41-60% versus 21-40%). The differences remained significant, with odds ratios of 2.6 for both indicators after controlling for gender, healthcare setting and years of practice. DISCUSSION: Policies should promote training of GPs as part of the increasing workforce for mental healthcare. Estimated from the results, GPs with mental health training have nearly triple the number of consultations related to mental health, compared with other GPs (340 versus 120 per year).