How to teach empathy

Healthcare practitioners

 

The Oxford Empathy Programme runs an 8-hour empathy training course for practitioners. The course can be run in a single day, and also divided up into 4, 2, or 1 hour sessions over several weeks.

The course covers empathy tools, and how to prevent 'compassion fatigue'.

The course is based on evidence from our systematic reviews, and delivered by award winning teachers and facilitators.

We are in the process on gathering evidence about the effectiveness of our course. Background evidence suggests it will reduce patient pain, anxiety, depression, medication use, while improving patient satisfaction and quality of life.

Please contact jeremy.howick@philosophy.ox.ac.uk for more details.

Healthcare managers (systems)

 

Many doctors feel that the system, with too many managers and paperwork is

(a) not empathetic towards doctors, and

(b) is a barrier to patient/practitioner empathy.

How can we address this?

 

Patients

 

Patients can also help themselves and their doctors by engaging in a culture of empathy.

Building a culture of empathy
> Further information

In addition, the 'Empathy Training and Review Wiki' project is reviewing systematic reviews of empathy training.
> Further information