Introducing Medical Humanities--Use of Humour for Teaching Ethics: A Pilot Study at Hamdard Institute of Medical Sciences and Research, Delhi

Introduction

Empathy is a term difficult to define and it is said that it encompasses ethics, professionalism, communication skills and is much more and beyond these. Empathy describes the ability of a doctor to visualise and understand the patient’s suffering, pain and perspective and then to communicate back to him with the aim of healing him (Hojat, 2009; Nunes, 2011). The objective of empathy is a better understanding of and alleviation of human suffering and therefore empathy has a cognitive, psychomotor as well as an affective component. It is essentially a quality which helps doctors gain an insight into the quality of pain being experienced by the patient and doing something active to allay his pain and solve his problem. Due to the abstract nature of its definition, empathy has been difficult to define, quantify and teach. However, the fact remains unambiguous that physician empathy improves patient satisfaction and promotes adherence to treatment regime. Not only this, it is also beneficial to the doctors in that it reduces medico legal risks and instils a sense of professional achievement. (Afghani B, 2011)

In a longitudinal study conducted by Hojat et al. (2009) it was observed that mean empathy scores decline in medical students as they advance through their medical school. The investigators identified a group of students who were ‘at risk’ and suggested that efforts should be especially focussed on this group as they are more likely to be the ones that develop apathy.

Developing and maintaining an empathetic attitude towards patient is one of the important goals of medical education aiming at producing healers rather than mere physicians. The American Association of Medical Colleges has identified the development and enhancement of empathy in medical students as a key goal (1999). In recognition of its importance, many universities and medical colleges have awakened to the need of teaching empathy to medical students. The situation at present is one where the importance of empathy is gradually percolating into the minds of intelligentsia.

This study was therefore undertaken as a pilot project at our Medical College where we tried to introduce and sensitise first year medical students to the subject of empathy through medical humanities. As humour is an important method of communication and social commentary, we utilised it to introduce the novel concept of Medical Humanities.