University Teaching Technology for Developing Medical Empathy

Abstract

Abstract. This paper shares a teaching toolkit built to help first‑year medical students practice and keep their empathy, so that bedside manners grow alongside clinical know‑how. Builds on Hojat’s cognitive‑affective model and Rogers’ client‑centered care, then refines Stepien & Baernstein’s competency training by adding Bandura’s social‑learning theory and Decety & Jackson’s mirror‑neuron insights. We followed a three‑step, design‑based path: (1) defined what “medical empathy” looks like and how to spot it; (2) wrote a dedicated module and companion coursebook; (3) ran hands‑on training that mixed simulations, role‑plays, case debates, relaxation pauses and guided journals, weaving together values, knowledge, feelings and leadership. Self‑ratings and reflective journals showed clear jumps in empathy, fewer stereotypes and greater ease in tough patient conversations. Lecturers said the sessions also re‑energized their own teaching. The module now sits in the first‑year curriculum and is being adapted for Nursing and Dentistry. With ready‑made materials and staff workshops, other faculties can adopt it without starting from scratch. By turning many theories into a practical, tested package, we show that empathy can be taught, measured and kept alive even in hi‑tech classrooms.

Keywords: medical education; empathy; instructional technology; empathic leadership; physician–patient relationship​​