Research Article
BibTex RIS Cite

The Role of Community-based Health Practice on the Improvement of Healthcare Students’ Communication, Empathy and Perception of the Elderly: A Qualitative Study at Izmir University of Economics

Year 2021, Issue: 61, 33 - 51, 31.12.2021
https://doi.org/10.26650/CONNECTIST2021-0088

Abstract

Interpersonal communication involving empathy is of great importance in therapeutic relationships in healthcare. To equip medical/healthcare students with interpersonal communication skills, community-based health education provides real-life contexts in which they engage with the community as part of the curriculum. A community-based health practice (CBHP) was implemented at Izmir University of Economics (IUE) to improve students’ communication, empathy and perception towards the elderly. Within an interdisciplinary collaboration among the medicine, nursing, elderly-care and physiotherapy programs, a total of 111 students participated in the project. This study aimed to evaluate the role of the CBHP on students’ communication, empathy and perception of the elderly. Taking a qualitative approach, focus group interviews were organized with students (n=22). Descriptive analysis of the qualitative data revealed that students witnessed the loneliness of elderly individuals, their physical and psychosocial needs, which resulted in a high degree of empathy. Furthermore, the study also aimed to gain insights from elderly participants via in-depth interviews (n=9). Results demonstrated that the participants felt valued and useful during the communication processes with the students. In conclusion, CBHP contributed to students’ perceptions and empathy towards the elderly; meanwhile the elderly individuals were satisfied with the interest of the medical, nursing and healthcare students.

References

  • Bahar-Özvarış, Ş. (2007). Topluma Dayalı Tıp Eğitimi [Community-based Health Education]. Toplum Hekimliği Bülteni, 26(3), 1-6.
  • Boyce, C., & Neale, P. (2006). Conducting in-depth interviews: A guide for designing and conducting in-depth interviews for evaluation input. Watertown, MA: Pathfinder International.
  • Boyer, E. L. (1990). Scholarship reconsidered: Priorities of the professoriate. NJ: Princeton University Press.
  • Burnard, P., Gill, P., Stewart, K., Treasure, E., & Chadwick, B. (2008). Analysing and presenting qualitative data. British dental journal, 204(8), 429-432.
  • Buttery, C. M., & Moser, D. L. (1980). A combined family and community medicine clerkship. Journal of Family Practice, 11(2), 237-244.
  • Chen, D., Lew, R., Hershman, W., & Orlander, J. (2007). A cross-sectional measurement of medical student empathy. Journal of general internal medicine, 22(10), 1434-1438.
  • Clever, S. L., Jin, L., Levinson, W., & Meltzer, D. O. (2008). Does doctor–patient communication affect patient satisfaction with hospital care? Results of an analysis with a novel instrumental variable. Health services research, 43(5p1), 1505-1519.
  • Corson, D. (1998). Community-based education for indigenous cultures. Language Culture and Curriculum, 11(3), 238-249.
  • Caliskan, D., Oncu, B., Kose, K., Ocaktan, M. E., & Ozdemir, O. (2007). Depression scores and associated factors in pregnant and non-pregnant women: a community-based study in Turkey. Journal of Psychosomatic Obstetrics & Gynecology, 28(4), 195-200. Gholamzadeh, S., Khastavaneh, M., Khademian, Z., & Ghadakpour, S. (2018). The effects of empathy skills training on nursing students’ empathy and attitudes toward elderly people. BMC medical education, 18(1), 198, pp.1-7.
  • Hojat, M., DeSantis, J., & Gonnella, J. S. (2017). Patient perceptions of clinician’s empathy: measurement and psychometrics. Journal of patient experience, 4(2), 78-83.
  • Hunt, J. B., Bonham, C., & Jones, L. (2011). Understanding the goals of service learning and community-based medical education: a systematic review. Academic Medicine, 86(2), 246-251.
  • Holmén, K., & Furukawa, H. (2002). Loneliness, health and social network among elderly people—a follow-up study. Archives of gerontology and geriatrics, 35(3), 261-274.
  • İstatistiklerle yaşlılar [Elderly with Statistics], 2018. Republic of Turkey Ministry of Health. Retrieved from https://hsgm.saglik.gov.tr/depo/birimler/kronikhastaliklarengellidb/ hastaliklar/Yasli_Sagligi/raporlar_istatistikler/TUIK_Yasli_Istatistik _2018.pdf
  • Kelly, L., Walters, L., & Rosenthal, D. (2014). Community-based medical education: Is success a result of meaningful personal learning experiences?. Education for health, 27(1), 47.
  • Kharicha, K., Iliffe, S., Manthorpe, J., Chew‐Graham, C. A., Cattan, M., Goodman, C., ... & Walters, K. (2017). What do older people experiencing loneliness think about primary care or community based interventions to reduce loneliness? A qualitative study in E ngland. Health & social care in the community, 25(6), 1733-1742.
  • Kitzinger, J. (1995). Qualitative research: introducing focus groups. Bmj, 311(7000), 299-302.
  • Maguire, P., & Pitceathly, C. (2002). Key communication skills and how to acquire them. Bmj, 325(7366), 697-700.
  • Magzoub, M. E. M., & Schmidt, H. G. (2000). A taxonomy of community-based medical education. Academic Medicine, 75(7), 699-707.
  • McLafferty, I. (2004). Focus group interviews as a data collecting strategy. Journal of advanced nursing, 48(2), 187-194.
  • Mooney, L. A., & Edwards, B. (2001). Experiential learning in sociology: Service learning and other community-based learning initiatives. Teaching Sociology, 29(2), 181-194.
  • National Population Projections Tables 2017. US Census Bureau. Retrieved from https://www.census.gov/data/tables/2017/demo/popproj/2017-summarytables.html
  • Olson, C. J. (2003). A curriculum module enhances students' gerontological practice-related knowledge and attitudes. Journal of Gerontological Social Work, 38(4), 85-102.
  • Overview of the UK population: August 2019. Office for National Statistics. Retrieved from https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/populationandmigration/populationestimates/articles/overviewoftheukpopulation/august2019#the-uks-population-is ageing
  • Pohl, C. J., Malin, S., & Kennell, L. (2014). Reinventing the home visit for undergraduate nursing students. Journal of Nursing Education, 53(12), 696-698.
  • Prihanti, G. (2017). The development of community based education (cbe) model's to support the achievement of empathy competence: first year of medical students. J Soc Sci Hum, 25(S), 97-106.
  • Söderhamn, O., Lindencrona, C., & Gustavsson, S. M. (2001). Attitudes toward older people among nursing students and registered nurses in Sweden. Nurse education today, 21(3), 225-229.
  • Stewart, M. A. (1995). Effective physician-patient communication and health outcomes: a review. CMAJ: Canadian Medical Association Journal, 152(9), 1423-1433.
  • Stueber, K. (2019). Empathy. In E. N. Zalta (Ed.). International Encyclopedia of Ethics. Retrieved from https://plato.stanford.edu/archives/fall2019/entries/empathy/
  • The Edinburg Declaration (August 12, 1988) World Federation for Medical Education. Retrieved from https://wfme.org/download/the edinburgh-declaration/
  • Turan, J. M., & Say, L. (2003). Community-based antenatal education in Istanbul, Turkey: effects on health behaviours. Health policy and planning, 18(4), 391-398.
  • Yang, G., Kong, L., Zhao, W., Wan, X., Zhai, Y., Chen, L. C., & Koplan, J. P. (2008). Emergence of chronic non-communicable diseases in China. The Lancet, 372(9650), 1697-1705.
  • Wade, D. T. (2009). Holistic health care—what is it, and how can we achieve it?. In Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre’s Annual General Meeting, Oxford, UK. Retrieved from https:// pdfs.semanticscholar.org/80af/edfca2ffe3c96054aac6a85cf940a9c63a56.pdf

Sağlık Öğrencilerinin İletişim, Empati ve Yaşlı Algısının Geliştirilmesinde Toplum Temelli Sağlık Uygulamasının Rolü: İzmir Ekonomi Üniversitesi’nde Nitel Bir Çalışma

Year 2021, Issue: 61, 33 - 51, 31.12.2021
https://doi.org/10.26650/CONNECTIST2021-0088

Abstract

Empati içeren kişiler arası iletişim, sağlık hizmetlerindeki terapötik ilişkilerde büyük önem taşımaktadır. Tıp/sağlık öğrencilerine kişiler arası iletişim becerileri kazandırmak için toplum temelli sağlık eğitimi müfredatın bir parçası olarak toplulukla etkileşime girdikleri gerçek yaşam bağlamları sağlamaktadır. Öğrencilerin iletişim, empati ve yaşlılara karşı algılarını geliştirmek için İzmir Ekonomi Üniversitesi’nde (İEU) toplum temelli bir sağlık uygulaması gerçekleştirilmiştir. Tıp, hemşirelik, yaşlı bakımı ve fizyoterapi programları arasında disiplinler arası bir iş birliği içinde, toplam 111 öğrenci projeye katılmıştır. Bu çalışma, toplum temelli sağlık uygulamasının öğrencilerin iletişimi, empatisi ve yaşlı algısı üzerindeki rolünü değerlendirmeyi amaçlamıştır. Niteliksel yaklaşım ile öğrenciler ile odak grup görüşmeleri gerçekleştirilmiştir (n=22). Niteliksel verinin betimsel analizi, öğrencilerin, yaşlı bireylerin yalnızlığına, fiziksel ve psikososyal gereksinimlerine yakından tanıklık etmelerinin yüksek düzeyde empatiye yol açtığını ortaya koymaktadır. Ayrıca çalışmada yaşlı katılımcılardan yüz yüze görüşmeler yoluyla içgörü elde edilmesi amaçlanmıştır (n=9). Araştırma sonuçları katılımcıların öğrenciler ile iletişim süreçleri esnasında değerli ve faydalı hissettiklerini göstermektedir. Sonuç olarak, toplum temelli sağlık uygulaması öğrencilerin yaşlı algısına ve empatisine katkı sağlamış, aynı zamanda yaşlı bireyler tıp, hemşirelik ve sağlık hizmetleri öğrencilerinin gösterdikleri ilgiden memnun kalmışlardır.

References

  • Bahar-Özvarış, Ş. (2007). Topluma Dayalı Tıp Eğitimi [Community-based Health Education]. Toplum Hekimliği Bülteni, 26(3), 1-6.
  • Boyce, C., & Neale, P. (2006). Conducting in-depth interviews: A guide for designing and conducting in-depth interviews for evaluation input. Watertown, MA: Pathfinder International.
  • Boyer, E. L. (1990). Scholarship reconsidered: Priorities of the professoriate. NJ: Princeton University Press.
  • Burnard, P., Gill, P., Stewart, K., Treasure, E., & Chadwick, B. (2008). Analysing and presenting qualitative data. British dental journal, 204(8), 429-432.
  • Buttery, C. M., & Moser, D. L. (1980). A combined family and community medicine clerkship. Journal of Family Practice, 11(2), 237-244.
  • Chen, D., Lew, R., Hershman, W., & Orlander, J. (2007). A cross-sectional measurement of medical student empathy. Journal of general internal medicine, 22(10), 1434-1438.
  • Clever, S. L., Jin, L., Levinson, W., & Meltzer, D. O. (2008). Does doctor–patient communication affect patient satisfaction with hospital care? Results of an analysis with a novel instrumental variable. Health services research, 43(5p1), 1505-1519.
  • Corson, D. (1998). Community-based education for indigenous cultures. Language Culture and Curriculum, 11(3), 238-249.
  • Caliskan, D., Oncu, B., Kose, K., Ocaktan, M. E., & Ozdemir, O. (2007). Depression scores and associated factors in pregnant and non-pregnant women: a community-based study in Turkey. Journal of Psychosomatic Obstetrics & Gynecology, 28(4), 195-200. Gholamzadeh, S., Khastavaneh, M., Khademian, Z., & Ghadakpour, S. (2018). The effects of empathy skills training on nursing students’ empathy and attitudes toward elderly people. BMC medical education, 18(1), 198, pp.1-7.
  • Hojat, M., DeSantis, J., & Gonnella, J. S. (2017). Patient perceptions of clinician’s empathy: measurement and psychometrics. Journal of patient experience, 4(2), 78-83.
  • Hunt, J. B., Bonham, C., & Jones, L. (2011). Understanding the goals of service learning and community-based medical education: a systematic review. Academic Medicine, 86(2), 246-251.
  • Holmén, K., & Furukawa, H. (2002). Loneliness, health and social network among elderly people—a follow-up study. Archives of gerontology and geriatrics, 35(3), 261-274.
  • İstatistiklerle yaşlılar [Elderly with Statistics], 2018. Republic of Turkey Ministry of Health. Retrieved from https://hsgm.saglik.gov.tr/depo/birimler/kronikhastaliklarengellidb/ hastaliklar/Yasli_Sagligi/raporlar_istatistikler/TUIK_Yasli_Istatistik _2018.pdf
  • Kelly, L., Walters, L., & Rosenthal, D. (2014). Community-based medical education: Is success a result of meaningful personal learning experiences?. Education for health, 27(1), 47.
  • Kharicha, K., Iliffe, S., Manthorpe, J., Chew‐Graham, C. A., Cattan, M., Goodman, C., ... & Walters, K. (2017). What do older people experiencing loneliness think about primary care or community based interventions to reduce loneliness? A qualitative study in E ngland. Health & social care in the community, 25(6), 1733-1742.
  • Kitzinger, J. (1995). Qualitative research: introducing focus groups. Bmj, 311(7000), 299-302.
  • Maguire, P., & Pitceathly, C. (2002). Key communication skills and how to acquire them. Bmj, 325(7366), 697-700.
  • Magzoub, M. E. M., & Schmidt, H. G. (2000). A taxonomy of community-based medical education. Academic Medicine, 75(7), 699-707.
  • McLafferty, I. (2004). Focus group interviews as a data collecting strategy. Journal of advanced nursing, 48(2), 187-194.
  • Mooney, L. A., & Edwards, B. (2001). Experiential learning in sociology: Service learning and other community-based learning initiatives. Teaching Sociology, 29(2), 181-194.
  • National Population Projections Tables 2017. US Census Bureau. Retrieved from https://www.census.gov/data/tables/2017/demo/popproj/2017-summarytables.html
  • Olson, C. J. (2003). A curriculum module enhances students' gerontological practice-related knowledge and attitudes. Journal of Gerontological Social Work, 38(4), 85-102.
  • Overview of the UK population: August 2019. Office for National Statistics. Retrieved from https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/populationandmigration/populationestimates/articles/overviewoftheukpopulation/august2019#the-uks-population-is ageing
  • Pohl, C. J., Malin, S., & Kennell, L. (2014). Reinventing the home visit for undergraduate nursing students. Journal of Nursing Education, 53(12), 696-698.
  • Prihanti, G. (2017). The development of community based education (cbe) model's to support the achievement of empathy competence: first year of medical students. J Soc Sci Hum, 25(S), 97-106.
  • Söderhamn, O., Lindencrona, C., & Gustavsson, S. M. (2001). Attitudes toward older people among nursing students and registered nurses in Sweden. Nurse education today, 21(3), 225-229.
  • Stewart, M. A. (1995). Effective physician-patient communication and health outcomes: a review. CMAJ: Canadian Medical Association Journal, 152(9), 1423-1433.
  • Stueber, K. (2019). Empathy. In E. N. Zalta (Ed.). International Encyclopedia of Ethics. Retrieved from https://plato.stanford.edu/archives/fall2019/entries/empathy/
  • The Edinburg Declaration (August 12, 1988) World Federation for Medical Education. Retrieved from https://wfme.org/download/the edinburgh-declaration/
  • Turan, J. M., & Say, L. (2003). Community-based antenatal education in Istanbul, Turkey: effects on health behaviours. Health policy and planning, 18(4), 391-398.
  • Yang, G., Kong, L., Zhao, W., Wan, X., Zhai, Y., Chen, L. C., & Koplan, J. P. (2008). Emergence of chronic non-communicable diseases in China. The Lancet, 372(9650), 1697-1705.
  • Wade, D. T. (2009). Holistic health care—what is it, and how can we achieve it?. In Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre’s Annual General Meeting, Oxford, UK. Retrieved from https:// pdfs.semanticscholar.org/80af/edfca2ffe3c96054aac6a85cf940a9c63a56.pdf
There are 32 citations in total.

Details

Primary Language English
Subjects Communication and Media Studies
Journal Section Research Articles
Authors

Zeynep Aksoy 0000-0002-0297-0372

Ozden Gokdemir 0000-0002-0542-5767

İlgi Şemin 0000-0001-8747-5145

Publication Date December 31, 2021
Submission Date October 12, 2020
Published in Issue Year 2021 Issue: 61

Cite

APA Aksoy, Z., Gokdemir, O., & Şemin, İ. (2021). The Role of Community-based Health Practice on the Improvement of Healthcare Students’ Communication, Empathy and Perception of the Elderly: A Qualitative Study at Izmir University of Economics. Connectist: Istanbul University Journal of Communication Sciences(61), 33-51. https://doi.org/10.26650/CONNECTIST2021-0088
AMA Aksoy Z, Gokdemir O, Şemin İ. The Role of Community-based Health Practice on the Improvement of Healthcare Students’ Communication, Empathy and Perception of the Elderly: A Qualitative Study at Izmir University of Economics. Connectist: Istanbul University Journal of Communication Sciences. December 2021;(61):33-51. doi:10.26650/CONNECTIST2021-0088
Chicago Aksoy, Zeynep, Ozden Gokdemir, and İlgi Şemin. “The Role of Community-Based Health Practice on the Improvement of Healthcare Students’ Communication, Empathy and Perception of the Elderly: A Qualitative Study at Izmir University of Economics”. Connectist: Istanbul University Journal of Communication Sciences, no. 61 (December 2021): 33-51. https://doi.org/10.26650/CONNECTIST2021-0088.
EndNote Aksoy Z, Gokdemir O, Şemin İ (December 1, 2021) The Role of Community-based Health Practice on the Improvement of Healthcare Students’ Communication, Empathy and Perception of the Elderly: A Qualitative Study at Izmir University of Economics. Connectist: Istanbul University Journal of Communication Sciences 61 33–51.
IEEE Z. Aksoy, O. Gokdemir, and İ. Şemin, “The Role of Community-based Health Practice on the Improvement of Healthcare Students’ Communication, Empathy and Perception of the Elderly: A Qualitative Study at Izmir University of Economics”, Connectist: Istanbul University Journal of Communication Sciences, no. 61, pp. 33–51, December 2021, doi: 10.26650/CONNECTIST2021-0088.
ISNAD Aksoy, Zeynep et al. “The Role of Community-Based Health Practice on the Improvement of Healthcare Students’ Communication, Empathy and Perception of the Elderly: A Qualitative Study at Izmir University of Economics”. Connectist: Istanbul University Journal of Communication Sciences 61 (December 2021), 33-51. https://doi.org/10.26650/CONNECTIST2021-0088.
JAMA Aksoy Z, Gokdemir O, Şemin İ. The Role of Community-based Health Practice on the Improvement of Healthcare Students’ Communication, Empathy and Perception of the Elderly: A Qualitative Study at Izmir University of Economics. Connectist: Istanbul University Journal of Communication Sciences. 2021;:33–51.
MLA Aksoy, Zeynep et al. “The Role of Community-Based Health Practice on the Improvement of Healthcare Students’ Communication, Empathy and Perception of the Elderly: A Qualitative Study at Izmir University of Economics”. Connectist: Istanbul University Journal of Communication Sciences, no. 61, 2021, pp. 33-51, doi:10.26650/CONNECTIST2021-0088.
Vancouver Aksoy Z, Gokdemir O, Şemin İ. The Role of Community-based Health Practice on the Improvement of Healthcare Students’ Communication, Empathy and Perception of the Elderly: A Qualitative Study at Izmir University of Economics. Connectist: Istanbul University Journal of Communication Sciences. 2021(61):33-51.