Can training in empathetic validation improve medical students' communication with patients suffering pain? A test of concept

INTRODUCTION: Patient-centered, empathetic communication has been recommended as a means for improving the health care of patients suffering pain. However, a problem has been training health care providers since programs may be time-consuming and difficult to learn. Validation, a form of empathetic response that communicates that what a patient experiences is accepted as true, has been suggested as an appropriate method for improving communication with patients suffering pain. OBJECTIVES: We study the immediate effects of providing medical students with a 2-session (45-minute duration each) program in validation skills on communication. METHODS: A one group, pretest vs posttest design was employed with 22 volunteer medical students. To control patient variables, actors simulated 1 of 2 patient scenarios (randomly provided at pretest and posttest). Video recordings were blindly evaluated. Self-ratings of validation and satisfaction were also employed. RESULTS: Observed validation responses increased significantly after training and corresponded to significant reductions in invalidating responses. Both the patient simulators and the medical students were significantly more satisfied after the training. CONCLUSIONS: We demonstrated that training empathetic validation results in improved communication thus extending previous findings to a medical setting with patients suffering pain. Our results suggest that it would be feasible to provide validation training for health care providers and this warrants further investigation in controlled studies.