Should drama be a requirement to teach empathy?
Doctors taught empathy techniques by theater professors show improved bedside manner, according to a pilot study by a Virginia Commonwealth University research team.The findings may help in the development of medical curriculum for clinical empathy training. Clinical empathy skills allow doctors to recognize a patient’s emotional status and to respond to the patient’s needs. Patients often identify empathy skills, such as understanding, listening and honesty, as important traits in their primary care physicians.
I’m not sure that empathy that needs to be faked, or acted, is that effective.
