Enhancing Clinical Empathy in Medical Education: A Review of Current Strategies and Future Directions

Abstract

Empathy is crucial to healthcare as it improves patient outcomes, reduces malpractice errors and healthcare costs, and increases physician resilience while reducing burnout rates. Despite its importance, studies show that empathy declines as clinical training progresses, likely due to a lack of consensus on its definition, a focus on science- centered education rather than humanistic skills and high-stress levels. To address this, medical schools and healthcare organizations must develop efficient tools for teaching empathy. Various methods have been employed, including creative arts, reflective essays, communication skills, and experiential learning. This review provides an overview of recent studies on clinical empathy and aims to enhance the understanding and guide future interventions to teach empathy in medical schools. A pilot study is also included, showing that community connectedness positively impacts empathy levels among medical students.