Teaching medical students to express empathy by exploring patient emotions and experiences in standardized medical encounters.

OBJECTIVES: To increase medical students’ ability to detect contextual and emotional cues and to respond empathetically to patients. METHODS: a training course in communication skills and patient-centered care with different teaching activities (didactic, reflective and interactive: workshops and encounters with simulated patients) was delivered to third-year medical students just before their clerckships. The program was evaluated by an external observer (OE) and simulated patients (SP) in 2 or 3 videotaped encounters. RESULTS: Students improved significantly from baseline to 3rd interview in all communicative skills and domains explored both in OE (32.4%) and SP (38.3%) measurement. At the end of the course students detected significantly more clues and made more empathetic expressions. CONCLUSIONS: The course seems to improve the ability of students to explore the illness experience, showing more empathy in a more genuine way. This was carried out in consultations lasting 10 minutes. PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS: The program is effective and feasible to be applied as a regular formative activity. Further research is needed to assess whether this training program is applicable to students in more advanced educational levels and if it has any additional outcomes.pre-print432 K

The Effect of Patients’ Met Expectations on Consultation Outcomes. A Study with Family Medicine Residents

OBJECTIVES: To know the patients’ expectations and the fulfillment of these at family medicine consultations by resident doctors and to assess their effect on some consultation outcomes. DESIGN: A prospective cohort study. PARTICIPANTS: Patients attending family medicine consultations held by 38 resident doctors: 1,301 eligible patients, 702 filled in all questionnaires. MEASUREMENTS: Before each visit, the patients’ expectations about that particular consultation were registered. Right after the visit was over, their perception of several aspects of the communicative interaction with the doctor was measured. Later, patients were interviewed on the phone to know how their expectations had been fulfilled, how satisfied they were about the consultation, how they had followed the doctor’s suggestions, if they were going to seek further care for the same cause later, and the evolution of their clinical problem. Logistic regression was the main analysis used. RESULTS: The most common expectations were the doctor showing interest and listening (30.5%), getting some information about the diagnosis (16.3%), and sharing problems and doubts (11.1%). The rate of main expectations that were met was 76.5%. Satisfaction with the encounter was associated with the clinical evolution [odds ratio (OR) 2.23; confidence interval (CI): 1.32–3.75], and the fulfilling of the patients’ main or two main expectations was significantly related to all the measured outcomes (satisfaction OR 3.51, CI: 1.73–7.8; adherence OR 1.80, CI: 1.11–2.92; clinical evolution OR 1.54, CI: 1.01–2.35; and seeking further care later OR 0.54, CI:0.36–0.81) CONCLUSIONS: Patients prioritize expectations of a more general sort when they attend primary care consultations and residents fulfill these acceptably. The fulfillment of expectations seems to affect the studied outcomes more than other factors

Programa para ayudar a estudiantes de tercer año a integrar el contenido y la forma en la realización de la historia clínica A program to help third year students to integrate content and form in the clinical history

Introducción. Las habilidades de comunicación se han considerado como importantes e independientes para ser adquiridas por los estudiantes; sin embargo, representan una parte fundamental de la consulta. Objetivo. Describir un programa formativo de integración de habilidades de anamnesis y comunicación para estudiantes de tercero y analizar la correlación entre ambos dominios. Sujetos y métodos. Estudio observacional descriptivo. Emplazamiento: Aula de Habilidades de la Facultad de Medicina de Córdoba. Muestra: 158 estudiantes de tercero de medicina. Intervenciones: se ha desarrollado un programa interactivo en habilidades de comunicación y realización de anamnesis; un evaluador independiente valoró el desarrollo de ambas durante la entrevista clínica de los encuentros videograbados con una paciente simulada utilizando una herramienta ad hoc. Resultados. Duración media de cada entrevista: 5:56 min (IC 95% = 5:38-6:15 min), con un máximo de 10 min. Puntuación media global de la escala de valoración: 56,2 (máx. 104) (IC 95% = 54,20-58,19); habilidades de relación médico-paciente puntuación media: 25,58 (máx. 40) (IC 95% = 24,7-26,5); anamnesis biomédica: 30,61 (máx. 64) (IC 95% = 29,20-32,03). Existe una correlación positiva entre el tiempo usado y la puntuación global obtenida en la escala de valoración (coeficiente de Pearson = 0,65; p Introduction. Communication skills are considered as important and independent capacity to be acquired by students, however, are a fundamental part of the consultation. Aim. To describe a formative program for third year students with the objective of integrating anamnesis and communication skills in an integrating way and evaluate the correlation between them both. Subjects and methods. Observational descriptive study. Location: Skills Classroom in the Medicine Faculty of Cordoba. Subjects: 158 3rd year medicine students. Interventions: an interactive program in communications skills in clinical stories performances has been developed. An independent evaluator valued the communication and anamnesis skills during the clinical interview of the recorded meetings with simulated patient using a tool ad hoc. Results. Average interview time: 5:56 min (95% CI = 5:38-6:15 min) (maximum 10 min). Average global score rating scale: 56.2 (maximum 104) (95% CI = 54.20-58.19); skills of doctor-patient average score: 25.58 (maximum 40) (95% CI = 24.7-26.5), and biomedical anamnesis: 30.61 (maximum 64) (95% CI = 29.20-32.03). A positive correlation exists between with the time used by students and the obtained punctuation in the rating scale (Pearson coefficient = 0.65; p < 0.01), just like in the biomedical and communication sections (Pearson coefficient = 0.44; p < 0.01). Conclusions. The program was feasible, in which the communications skills had the best performance: reactivity, non-verbal language, reception and closing interview; against a not well performed biomedical anamnesis. Time is an important variable to develop the skills learnt and the students uses less than the maximum. The group of students with the best psychosocial aspects, got more details of anamnesis in their interviews

Effectiveness of a Mindfulness and Self-Compassion Standard Training Program versus an Abbreviated Training Program on Stress in Tutors and Resident Intern Specialists of Family and Community Medicine and Nursing in Spain

Stress is one of the most common problems among healthcare professionals, as they are exposed to potentially stressful and emotionally challenging situations in the workplace. Mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) training programs have been shown to decrease stress. The objective of this study was to compare the effectiveness of an abbreviated 4-weeks MBSR training program in relation to a standard 8-weeks one on the stress levels. A controlled and randomized clinical trial was designed, in which 112 tutors and resident intern specialists in Family and Community Medicine and Nursing of six Spanish National Health System teaching units (TUs) participated. Participants included in the experimental groups (EGs) received a MBRS training program (standard or abbreviated), while control group (CG) participants did not receive any intervention. The stress levels were assessed by the Perceived Stress Questionnaire (PSQ) in three different moments during the study: before, immediately after, and 3 months after the intervention. Adjusted covariance analysis (ANCOVA), using pretest scores as the covariate, showed a significant reduction in stress (F(2,91) = 5.165; p = 0.008; η2 = 0.102) in the post-test visit, attributable to the implementation of the standard training program, but without the maintenance of its effects over time. No significant impact of the abbreviated training program on stress levels was observed in the intergroup comparison. A standard 8-weeks MBSR training program aimed at tutors and resident intern specialists in Family and Community Medicine and Nursing produces significant improvements in stress levels compared with the abbreviated intervention and no intervention. New studies about abbreviated training programs are needed to provide effective treatments which improve well-being of these professionals.This project has received an “Isabel Fernández, 2017” scholarship from the Andalusian Society of Family and Community Medicine (SAMFyC, Ref. 153/17). On the other hand, it has received funding in the call for research and innovation projects in the field of Primary Care of the Andalusian Health Service (Ref. AP-0155-2018). The funding source had no influence on the design of the study, data collection and analysis, or the writing of the manuscript.Ye

Activity-Oriented Antiedema Proprioceptive Therapy (TAPA) for Shoulder Mobility Improvement in Women with Upper Limb Lymphedema Secondary to Breast Cancer: A Multicenter Controlled Clinical Trial

Background: Lymphedema, secondary to breast cancer (BCRL), is the abnormal accumulation of protein-rich fluid in the interstitium caused by a malfunction of the lymphatic system. It causes swelling, deficiencies in upper limb functions and structures, sensory pain and emotional alterations, which have a chronic course and affect the upper limb&rsquo;s functionality. This study aims to verify the efficacy and efficiency in the upper limb&acute;s functionality of a protocolized experimental approach based on occupational therapy, TAPA (activity-oriented proprioceptive antiedema therapy), in the rehabilitation of BCRL in stages I and II, comparing it with the conservative treatment considered as the standard, complex decongestive therapy (CDT), through a multicenter randomized clinical trial. Methods: a randomized and prospective clinical trial was conducted with experimental and control groups. Women diagnosed with BCRL belonging to institutions in C&oacute;rdoba and Aragon (Spain) participated. Sociodemographic variables and those related to the functionality of the affected upper limb were evaluated before and after the intervention. Results: The results showed statistically significant differences in the analysis of covariance performed for the variable joint balance of the shoulder&acute;s external rotation (p = 0.045) that could be attributed to the intervention performed; however, the effect size was minimal (&eta;2 &le; 0.080). In the rest of the variables, no significant differences were found. Conclusions: TAPA may be an alternative to the conservative treatment of women with BCRL. It was shown to be just as effective for volume reduction and activity performance as CDT but more effective in improving external rotation in shoulder joint balance