Predisposition for Empathy, Intercultural Sensitivity, and Intentions for Using Motivational Interviewing in First Year Pharmacy Students

Abstract

Objective. To assess first-year pharmacy (P1) students' predispositions (eg, perceptions for empathy, intercultural sensitivity, and motivational interviewing (MI) as a patient-centered communication skillset) and identify potential curricula content/communication skills training needs. Methods. A cross-sectional survey was used to collect students' self-reported perceptions for empathy, intercultural sensitivity, counseling contexts, and projected future MI use. Relationships between variables were explored and logistic regression was used to evaluate intention for using MI in future patient encounters.Results. There were 134 students who participated. Higher predisposition for empathy and for intercultural sensitivity were significantly correlated. Significant predictors for applying MI in future patient encounters were sex, confidence with counseling skills, and current use of MI. Conclusion. Results suggest the need to incorporate innovative training strategies in communication skills curricula. Potential areas include empathy, intercultural sensitivity and significant predictor variables for future MI use. Further investigation in other schools is needed.

A Systematic Review of Assessment Tools Measuring Cultural Competence Outcomes Relevant to Pharmacy Education

“…19 Some tools used published a validation study which included pharmacy students.19 While other tools had been used in research with pharmacy students evidencing their applicability. 18,[20][21][22][23][24][25][26][27][28][29][30] Additionally, some tools had been validated or used with health care professionals or health care professional students. 15,19,27,[31][32][33][34][35][36][37] Only one tool was identified that assessed cultural competence in the curriculum.…”

“…For example, the EMC/RSEE, the ISS, and the MEQ may be appealing tools to use to assess pharmacy students early in the curriculum and the CCA later with students when they gain health care experience, but only one study was published for each tool. 29,34,35,37 Reviewing the published literature can also provide insights on how a programs is modifying a tool(s). 44 The IAPCC is a tool that has been used frequently in the literature and it has a student version, but the fee for use may prohibit some programs from adopting it if financial resources are not available.…”

“…Cultural knowledge (5 items) Cultural skill (5 items) Cultural encounters (5 items) Cultural desire (5 items) Research studies with pharmacy students 18,[24][25][26] Self-Assessment of Perceived Validation studies with pharmacy students 13,48 Research studies with pharmacy students 27,28 Research study with medical students 27 Validation study with students in communication basic courses 49 Research study with pharmacy students 29 Multicultural Experiences Questionnaire (MEQ)…”

Ebelik Öğrencilerinin Kültürlerarası Yaklaşımlarının Merhamet ve Empati Düzeylerine Etkisi

“…Bizim çalışmamızda birinci ve dördüncü sınıf öğrencilerinin kültürlerarası duyarlılıkları ile merhamet düzeyleri arasında pozitif yönde, dördüncü sınıf öğrencilerinin kültürlerarası duyarlılıkları ile temel empati düzeyleri arasında negatif yönde anlamlı düzeyde bir ilişki saptanmıştır (p<0.05). Eczacılık birinci sınıf öğrencilerle yapılan bir çalışmada öğrencilerin kültürlerarası duyarlılık ve empati eğitimlerine ihtiyaçları olduğu belirlenmiştir (Ekong, Kavookjian ve Hutchison, 2017).…”

Empathy variation of undergraduate medical students after early clinical contact: a cross-sectional study in China

“… 12 Other training methods have also been proposed to enhance medical students’ comprehension of empathy and their empathetic capacity, such as ‘communication skills training’, 13 14 ‘reflective writing’ 15 16 and ‘motivational interviewing training’. 17 While some studies showed that the empathetic capacity of medical students declined with increasing academic years, 18–20 others indicated that the empathy scores of students in their final year were higher than those of first-year medical students. 21 Sex has also been found to influence undergraduate medical students’ empathy.…”