Masterclasses
Empathy on the Margins: Breaking down barriers in inclusion healthcare
Dr Andy Ward MBChB, MSc, PFHEA
Inclusion health refers to the care of socially excluded populations who often experience multiple, overlapping risk factors that contribute to poor health outcomes. This includes, but is not limited to, individuals experiencing homelessness, addiction, vulnerable migration status, sex work, or involvement with the justice system. Accessing healthcare is particularly challenging for these groups, as they frequently encounter barriers such as stigma and a lack of empathy from healthcare professionals.
In this interactive workshop, we will explore these barriers and examine how empathy can improve healthcare experiences for these vulnerable populations. Through firsthand accounts from individuals with lived experience of homelessness and the asylum process, participants will gain deeper insights into the challenges faced and develop practical strategies to foster more compassionate, effective care.
Educational outcomes:
Identify and understand the key barriers faced by inclusion health populations
Recognise the impact of these barriers on health outcomes and access to care
Explore and develop empathy-driven approaches to overcoming these barriers
Lights, Camera, Empathy: Using an Animated Film Curriculum to Foster Empathy, Improve Team Dynamics and Enhance Patient-Centred Care
Jennifer G Adams, MD
Empathy is the intentional practice of authentically understanding another person's lived experience through engaged curiosity. It has been consistently linked to improved patient health outcomes, higher patient satisfaction, and greater workplace fulfillment for healthcare providers. Despite compelling evidence that empathy is a vital, teachable, and measurable competency, developing training programs that are engaging, practical, and feasible within clinical care contexts remains a challenge.
This master class introduces an innovative and practical training resource designed to build participants' empathy skills in ways that are directly relevant to healthcare professionals. The curriculum is adaptable, easily disseminated, and has shown promising evidence of effectiveness in numerous settings.
Educational outcomes:
Understand Empathy’s Impact: Explore how empathy improves patient outcomes, enhances team dynamics, and supports provider well-being
Engage in Hands-On Learning: Participate in an interactive curriculum that builds practical empathy skills for real-world application
Deepen Empathy through Reflection: Develop skills in perspective-taking, engaged curiosity, deep listening, and self-awareness through guided reflection
Integrate Empathy Training: Discover creative strategies for adapting empathy training to various professional settings
Collaborate for Change: Brainstorm actionable strategies with peers to implement empathy-focused initiatives in your institution
Access Valuable Resources: Receive open-source curriculum materials and an animated film designed to support empathy training in healthcare and home environments
The good, the bad and the not so ugly: Exploring patients’ experiences of the impact of empathy (or lack of it!)
The Stoneygate Centre for Empathic Healthcare National Patient Advisory Board
Research shows that empathy can improve outcomes for patients, including reduced pain, anxiety, and depression, and improved satisfaction with care. Conversely, a lack of empathy can compromise patient experience and safety. While this research underscores the importance of empathy in healthcare, patients rarely have the opportunity to share their lived experiences of empathy in-depth. By the same token, healthcare practitioners, educators, and policymakers seldom get the chance to explore and reflect on what it means to be on the receiving end of empathy (or a lack thereof).
In this interactive masterclass, the Stoneygate Centre for Empathic Healthcare’s National Patient Advisory Board will open-up a two-way conversation about the impact of empathy in healthcare, drawing on their own lived experiences. Participants will be encouraged to reflect on what empathy means to them, and explore the characteristics of patient-practitioner interactions that demonstrate empathy.
Educational outcomes:
Explore, in-depth, patients’ lived experiences of empathy in healthcare, considering the impact on their wider lives
Identify the characteristics of empathic and un-empathic communication with patients
Develop approaches to cultivating empathy for patients in healthcare