Abstract Details

Title Exposure to a Free Neurology Clinic Increases Empathy in Medical Students

Topic Research Methodology, �鶹��ýӳ��, and History

Presentation(s) P5 - Poster Session 5 (8:00 AM-9:00 AM)

Poster/Presentation
Number 13-013

Objective Our objective was to determine if there is an increase in empathy in tenth semester students of medicine of the Universidad de los Andes, after exposure to a free neurology clinic in Hospital Universitario Fundación Santa Fe de Bogotá.

Background Empathy is an essential attribute of any physician, however, during medical school and residency, empathy declines. Exposure to chronically ill patients has been shown to increase empathy in medical students. Furthermore, attending a free neurology clinic directed for a low-income population has shown the same trend in medical students. Nevertheless, these results have not been validated in our context.

Design/Methods We conducted a pilot study to assess whether there was any association between the development of empathy in medical students after a free clinic in neurology. We used the Jefferson Scale of Physician Empathy (JSE), in 42 medical students of Universidad de los Andes, before and after attending the neurology clinic. This self-report questionnaire has been validated extensively in English and Spanish. Subsequently, a database with all the information was built in REDCap and statistical analysis was made with STATA.

Results Students originally obtained score of 112, SD: 18, maximum of 140 points on the JSE, after performing the statistical analysis, we found a two-point increase, to 114 points, SD: 13, after the exposure to free neurology clinic. Furthermore, in some students we found a large increase in empathy, up to 30 points.

Conclusions In this pilot study, we obtained an increase in empathy in all 42 participants. The results obtained can serve as a basis for a larger study, showing the effect that attending patients in a free neurology clinic has on medical students’ empathy in our country.

Authors/Disclosures
Jaime Toro, MD, F�鶹��ýӳ�� (Universidad El Bosque) PRESENTER	Dr. Toro has received personal compensation in the range of $500-$4,999 for serving as an Editor, Associate Editor, or Editorial Advisory Board Member for Watch Neurology .
	No disclosure on file
Daniel Noriega (Universidad de Los Andes, School of Medicine)	No disclosure on file
	No disclosure on file