Empátia online

Abstract

Empathy plays a crucial role in doctor–patient collaboration; therefore, it is essential to enhance empathic communication during the training of medical students. The most effective method is simulating exercises for situations similar to an actual doctor–patient situation. The empathic communication used during the interactions significantly promotes therapeutic cooperation and understanding. That is why we chose to look at emotionally challenging situations where empathy plays a significant role, such as situations that involve persuasion, resistance, and breaking bad news. The course “Empathic and Assertive Communication in Clinical Practice” was implemented online due to the pandemic in the spring of 2021. In our study, we wished to answer the question if consultation between a doctor and a patient with a personal presence was feasible even if the communication channel was limited to online platform, what language tools a doctor had to achieve empathic communication for successful therapy. The question arises whether communication efficiency is declining or the online space can provide new opportunities. In our internships, we examined the language tools that medical students could use to implement empathic communication and what nonverbal and verbal interactions could occur in such an extraordinary situation.