# Impact of Multimodal Intervention on Empathy Levels in Medical Students: A Questionnaire-Based Study

## TL;DR

A study in India found that a multimodal training program significantly improved empathy levels in medical students, with benefits not limited by gender or background.

## Contribution

This study demonstrates that a multimodal intervention can enhance empathy in medical students without significant demographic influence.

## Key findings

- Empathy scores improved significantly after the intervention (p=0.009).
- Gender, education style, and place of residence did not affect post-intervention empathy scores.
- The intervention benefits appear to be universally applicable across student demographics.

## Abstract

Background

Empathy is essential for effective doctor-patient communication. It enables doctors to understand patients' emotions and concerns, facilitating personalized care and support. Empathy can be cultivated through various methods and training programs.

Objective

The study aims to assess the effectiveness of a multimodal intervention involving interactive lectures, peer role-play, and guided reflection in enhancing empathy levels among second-year medical undergraduate students in India.

Methods

This study utilized a questionnaire-based, pre- and post-test interventional design. Seventy-nine second-year medical students were included after obtaining their informed consent. The students received the intervention through an interactive lecture on communication skills, role-play on selected case studies, and guided reflection. The empathy levels were assessed using the Toronto Empathy Questionnaire (TEQ) before and after the intervention. The Mann-Whitney U test was utilized to compare pre-test and post-test TEQ scores. A univariate analysis of variance was conducted to explore the relationship between demographic variables and post-test TEQ scores. Statistical significance was considered at p ≤ 0.05.

Results

The TEQ score improved significantly (p=0.009) after the intervention. The univariate analysis indicated that gender, style of education, and place of residence did not have a statistically significant impact on post-test scores.

Conclusion

The study demonstrates that a multimodal intervention significantly enhances the empathy level of medical students, highlighting the potential of focused interventions to reduce gender disparities in empathy levels. There were no significant differences in empathy scores based on gender, place of residence, or schooling, suggesting the intervention's benefits may apply to all medical students.