Empathy course aims to improve outcomes for patients and frontline healthcare practitioners

A UK team recognised internationally for its expertise in empathic healthcare has launched an innovative course designed to improve outcomes for patients and medical staff.

The Stoneygate Centre for Empathic Healthcare, based at the University of Leicester, has devised the Putting Evidence-Based Empathy into Practice workshop to teach healthcare professionals how to develop empathy habits that they can use in their clinical practice.

The flagship course will take place in October and healthcare professionals who sign up by Thursday, August 1, can take advantage of an early bird rate.

Associate Professor in Medical Education and Honorary Senior Academic GP, Dr Andy Ward, who is leading the workshop, has presented his work on patient-centred care teaching around the world.

He said: “There’s growing evidence that empathy improves patient outcomes – including patient satisfaction – and helps protect healthcare practitioners from burnout and protects their wellbeing. Yet despite its importance, the extent to which practitioners are trained to express empathy is variable. 

“By the end of this workshop, healthcare professionals will understand the latest evidence linking empathy with improved outcomes for staff and patients and will have developed essential empathic verbal and non-verbal communication skills to assist them in their day-to-day clinical practice.”

The workshop is for anyone who is involved in face-to-face patient care and will include patient stories, group work and role play opportunities to enable attendees to put their empathic skills into practice.

Delegates will also create an action plan to help them embed empathic skills into their day-to-day work.

The workshop will take place from 9am to 5pm on Tuesday, October 8, at College Court Conference Centre in Leicester.