Using art to illustrate medical empathy to physician assistants

Abstract

Physician assistant (PA) programs must teach medical communication skills that facilitate effective patient care. Empathy is one such skill that is explicitly mentioned in relevant documents, but there is no common definition of empathy nor a formal curriculum to teach it.Current literature suggests that empathy is a feeling resulting from cognitive, emotional, and behavioral processes that are observable and teachable. This constructivist grounded theory study articulated a definition of medical empathy, then conducted a guided art viewing (GAV) experience with five PA faculty in which they viewed three artworks and were asked to identify examples of cognitive, emotional, or behavioral processes illustrated in the art that suggest an act of or a need for medical empathy. All participants found medically empathetic behaviors illustrated in the art. Findings suggest that medical empathy is a contextualized feeling that calls for a certain response by the PA. GAVs can teach medical empathy by guiding learners to find the illustrated behaviors and discussing appropriate responses. Results of this study are likely transferable to other professions where assessing and responding to human emotion is needed.