Abstract

Background: Empathetic communication is regarded as the best approach to meet the needs of a person with disabilities (PWDs) and is critical to the development of professionalism in the undergraduate medical students. The purpose of the study is to enhance empathy in the undergraduate medical students by exposing them to PWDs in their natural home environment.
Methods: Through home visiting technique a group of 15 medical students (3 batches of 5 each) were taken in the community for interaction with PWDs. 5 in-depth interviews & 3 focus group discussions were done in order to explore students’ emotions. Households with PWDs were identified with the help of local NGO “Disabled People Development Organization”. Twenty five households with PWDs were visited, 05 on daily basis. Students attended few sessions on communication skills & a motivating talk was given by the president of organization, who himself was physically disabled. Data regarding the total number of households with PWDs visited, stating the nature of their disability was recorded on the daily basis. Their disabilities were diverse and ranged in severity from mild mobility limitations to total dependence for care.
Results: Students’ shared their emotions and experience of interaction with PWDs in a very positive manner and expressed how this interaction served to inculcate compassion and empathy among them. It was a real display of student’s emotions and feelings, truly reflective of their concern and empathy for the suffering community.
Conclusion: Real life community exposure is critical to enhancement of empathy in the undergraduate medical students. Household community surveys should be incorporated into undergraduate medical curriculum which will help students to adopt the holistic health approach.

Key words: Persons with Disabilities (PWDs), Community exposure, Empathy