Medical Students' Attitudes Toward Non-Adherent Patients Before and After a Simulated Patient-Role Activity and Small-Group Discussion: Revisited

Introduction This study seeks to explore whether the documented decline in medical student empathy can be prevented or slowed using simulated patient-role activities and small-group discussions about the patient experience of living with a chronic illness. Methods First-year students (M1, n = 118) at the University of Central Florida College of Medicine (UCFCOM) participated in a simulated patient-role activity resembling the experience of a patient with Type 2 diabetes mellitus. The activity included taking daily “medication,” participating in moderate exercise, and maintaining a low carbohydrate diet. At the end of the simulated patient-role activity, students took part in a small-group discussion about their experiences. Students completed the Jefferson Scale of Physician Empathy: Student Version (JSPE:S) before and after the activity. Additionally, fourth-year students (M4) at UCFCOM completed the JSPE:S to serve as the control, as this class completed the curriculum without any simulated patient-role activities. Results A total of 86 responses out of 118 possible M1 participants (73% response rate) were received. Of these, 62 surveys were completed and were therefore used for statistical analysis. A dependent sample t-test revealed no statistically significant increase on pre-activity (M = 111.15, SD = 8.56) and post-activity (M = 111.38, SD = 9.12) empathy scores (p = .78). A positive correlation was revealed to exist between pre- and post-activity empathy scores (r = 0.72, p < 0.001). Empathy comparisons for the full sample M1 post-activity results (n = 62) and the M4 results (n = 16, M = 106.56, SD = 10.61) revealed no statistically significant difference (p = .11). Discussion Although previous authors have shown that patient role-playing activities, such as those performed in this study, should maintain and/or increase empathy in medical students, our findings suggest that on a short-term scale, empathy levels were not affected by the activity.