Can storytelling of women’s lived experience enhance empathy in medical students? A pilot intervention study

Abstract

Purpose

This pilot study aimed to investigate the acceptability and efficacy of a patient storytelling intervention (live and recorded) on empathy levels of medical students.

Materials and methods

Medical students participated in a storytelling intervention that had three components: listening to live or recorded stories from women with abnormal uterine bleeding, reflective writing, and a debriefing session. Empathy scores of students pre- and post-intervention were measured using the Jefferson Scale of Empathy-student version (JSE-S). Students also completed a feedback survey. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyse quantitative data and content analysis was used for text comments.

Results

Both live and recorded storytelling interventions had positive effects on student’s empathy scores post intervention. Overall, students were satisfied with the intervention and reported that it improved their understanding of life experiences of women. Suggestions were made for an in-person storytelling session and interactive discussion after listening to each story.

Conclusion

A storytelling intervention has the potential to improve medical students’ empathy and understanding of lived experience of women with health conditions. This could be valuable when student-patient interactions are limited in healthcare settings, or to enable stories of small numbers of patient volunteers to reach students.

Keywords:

• Patient storytelling
• medical education
• lived experience
• empathy
• acceptability
• women’s health curriculum

Acknowledgments

The authors thank nurses and doctors at the women’s health clinic, Wellington Hospital, New Zealand for helping us with recruitment of women to tell their stories. Thanks to Mr Luke Pilkinton-Ching, videographer, University of Otago Wellington for helping us with the videorecording and editing of women’s stories. Thanks to Ms Jackie Bell and Mr Rhys Mulholland-Winiata, teaching coordinators at the Department of Obstetrics, Gynaecology and Women’s Health, University of Otago Wellington for their help with organising the intervention sessions. We particularly thank the women and medical students who participated in our study.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Otago Medical School - Medical Education Research Grants, University of Otago, New Zealand and the Lottery Health Research Postdoctoral Fellowship, New Zealand Lottery Grants Board.

Notes on contributors

Parimala Kanagasabai

Parimala Kanagasabai, BPT, MPT, PhD, is a Research Fellow at the Department of Obstetrics, Gynaecology and Women’s Health, University of Otago Wellington, New Zealand.

Judy Ormandy

Judy Ormandy, MBChB, Dip Obs, MClinEd (Hons), FRANZCOG is a Senior lecturer at the Department of Obstetrics, Gynaecology and Women’s Health, University of Otago Wellington. She works as an Obstetrician and Gynaecologist at the Te Whatu Ora-Health New Zealand (Capital, Coast and Hutt Valley).

Sara Filoche

Sara Filoche, BSc (Hons), MSc, PGDip (Gen Med), PhD is an Associate Professor and Head of Department at the Department of Obstetrics, Gynaecology and Women’s Health, University of Otago Wellington, New Zealand.

Claire Henry

Claire Henry, Bsc (Hons), PhD, is Research Fellow at the Department of Obstetrics, Gynaecology and Women’s Health, University of Otago Wellington.

Sarah Te Whaiti

Sarah Te Whaiti, Ngai Tahu, Ngati Mamoe, Waitaha, MBChB, PG Dip Obs, is a clinical lecturer at the Department of Obstetrics, Gynaecology and Women’s Health, University of Otago Wellington. She works as an Obstetrician and Gynaecologist at the Te Whatu Ora- Health New Zealand (Capital, Coast and Hutt Valley).

Robin Willink

Robin Willink, BSc (Hons) PhD, is a Senior Research Fellow and Biostatistician at the University of Otago Wellington, New Zealand and is an Adjunct Scientist at the Measurement Standards Laboratory of New Zealand.

Tehmina Gladman

Tehmina Gladman, BA(Psych), PGDip (Ed), MSc(Psych), PhD(Exp Psych) is a senior lecturer and education advisor at the University of Otago Wellington, New Zealand.

Rebecca Grainger

Rebecca Grainger, MBChB, PhD is a Professor at the Department of Medicine and Associate Dean Medical Education, University of Otago Wellington. She works as a Rheumatologist at the Te Whatu Ora-Health New Zealand (Capital, Coast and Hutt Valley).