Masterclasses
Empathy on the Margins: Breaking down barriers in inclusion healthcare
Dr Andy Ward MBChB, MSc, PFHEA; Ray Cottington – Leicester Operational Network Development Peer Programme Manager, at the Hepatitis C Trust; Nermin Abulibda – PhD Student, Stoneygate Centre for Empathic Healthcare
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
Dr Andy Ward
Dr Andy Ward is an Associate Professor in Medical Education and Honorary Senior Academic General Practitioner at the Stoneygate Centre for Empathic Healthcare based at Leicester Medical School. Andy's role is to develop innovative and evidence-based teaching interventions across the medical curriculum that will increase and sustain empathy in medical students. He has wide experience in producing teaching around patient-centred care and has presented on his work internationally. Andy also works as a GP at Inclusion Healthcare in Leicester providing primary care to people experiencing homelessness and as a presenter for NB Medical Education.
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
Dr Jennifer G. Adams
Jennifer G. Adams, MD, is the inaugural Frankfort Family Director, Center for Empathy in Medicine. Dr. Adams is an associate professor in the Department of Medicine, director of the primary care residency track, and a preceptor and attending physician at Gouverneur Diagnostic and Treatment Center. Dr. Adams leverages her extensive experience and expertise as a clinician, educator, and researcher to advance the mission and goals of the NYU Langone Health Institute for Innovations in Medical Education and The Empathy Project. At NYU Grossman School of Medicine, she works closely with leaders across the educational and clinical missions to design, implement and study a formal curriculum on empathy at the undergraduate, graduate, and continuing medical education levels. Dr. Adams also works nationally and internationally to expand empathy training and scholarly work in other educational arenas.
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
The Stoneygate Centre for Empathic Healthcare National Patient Advisory Board
The Stoneygate Centre for Empathic Healthcare’s National Patient Advisory Board was established in 2023 by Dr Amber Bennett-Weston. Its role is to provide a patient perspective to guide the Centre’s strategy, including current research, medical education, and external training activities. The Board is comprised of five members who represent diverse lived experiences of health and social care, and is Chaired by a patient representative. Through regular meetings, the Board contributes to the Centre’s strategy for patient and public involvement in teaching and research, co-produce empathic curriculum streams, and contribute to research papers and funding applications.
Cultivating Empathy in the Classroom: Developing a teaching toolbox for compassionate clinicians
Prof. Sandra Winterburn, Emeritus Associate Professor, Norwich Medical School, University of East Anglia, Norfolk, United Kingdom; Prof. Dr. Claudia Kiessling, Faculty of Health (School of Medicine) Witten/Herdecke University, Witten, Germany; Dr .Anne Marie Regan, Assistant Programme Director, Western Training Programme in General Practice, Irish College of GPs, Galway, Ireland; Prof. Eva Doherty, Director of Human Factors in Patient Safety, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, Dublin, Ireland.
Empathy is increasingly recognised as the cornerstone of effective communication, collaboration, and ethical decision-making across disciplines. Promoting empathy and compassion in our students is a forerunner to their well-being, emotional stability and likely adoption of a patient-centered approach during their clinical careers.
Despite its importance, structured approaches to teaching and cultivating empathy remain underdeveloped, particularly in small classroom settings where interpersonal dynamics and access to simulated patients offer rich, often untapped, learning opportunities.
This presentation outlines the development of a practical, "Empathy Learning Toolbox" designed to support educators in teaching empathy through structured experiential activities in small-group educational environments.
The presenters will describe the theoretical framework behind the tools, review early findings, and share selected tools experientially with conference participants.
Components of the Toolbox to be shared include:
Patient Predictions
Storytelling
Fact and Feeling Summaries
Cue Consciousness exercises and scales
Socratic Questioning
Educational outcomes:
The goal is to provide educators and facilitators with accessible strategies to cultivate empathy in their learners, promoting not only individual emotional intelligence but also collective classroom well-being
Attendees will leave with sample exercises and practical strategies for immediate application in their own classrooms
The International Association of Communication in Healthcare (EACH)
EACH is a dynamic global network of researchers, educators, and practitioners dedicated to enhancing the patient experience through:
Research and Education that deepen our understanding of how clinical communication influences health outcomes, patient satisfaction, and empowerment.
Advocacy and Engagement with policymakers and non-academic stakeholders to ensure effective communication is embedded within healthcare systems worldwide.
Sharing Best Practices and Knowledge to support the dissemination of research findings and educational tools across the healthcare community.
Promoting a Person-Centred Approach that reflects the evolving needs of healthcare delivery.
Members of EACH are delighted to be asked to share some of their work during this conference.