A study has revealed that improvisation techniques could be the key to improving empathy among healthcare professionals.
Researchers from Edith Cowan University (ECU) in Australia, along with Rocky Vista University and Midwestern University in the USA, have found that even a single improv session can significantly boost empathy levels among healthcare students.
The study, involving 165 healthcare students, showed that participating in improv activities for just one or two hours led to substantial increases in self-reported empathy scores. These improvements were observed immediately after the session and persisted until the end of the semester.
Dr. Brian D Schwartz from Rocky Vista University, the lead author of the study, explained the mechanism behind this effect: “We believe that empathy is developed and deepened in this circumstance through a heightened requirement to truly listen, actively and presently, and forge a connection with classmates and teammates based on a sense of shared experience.”
The improv exercises required students to pay close attention to their peers’ words and actions, fostering an environment of teamwork and mutual support. This approach seems to enhance both affective empathy (the ability to sense patients’ feelings) and cognitive empathy (understanding the nature of patients’ experiences).
Dr Shane Rogers, a psychology researcher at ECU, emphasised the potential long-term benefits: “Greater healthcare professional empathy and compassion foster better healthcare team cooperation and patient outcomes, so healthcare professionals and their students should engage in empathy-enhancing activities at regular intervals throughout their training and careers.”
“Improv is one tool to complement other more direct methods of fostering empathy, such as asking students to write critical reflections from patients’ perspectives.”
While the researchers recommend incorporating regular improv sessions into healthcare education, they also stress the need for further research to determine the optimal implementation of these techniques.
Ritchelle is a Content Producer for Healthcare Channel, Australia’s premier resource of information for healthcare.
