Radiation biology case studies and student empathy.

Background Case studies are used routinely in health science courses to allow students to apply their theoretical knowledge to a clinical case. Putting a human face on a case also can help build empathy for the patient, a goal in many educational programs for health care providers. Objective To assess the effect of radiation biology case studies on radiologic science students' empathy with their patients. Methods Case studies were integrated into a radiation biology course with 52 students (24 radiation therapy, 18 nuclear medicine technology and 10 biology majors). Student performance was assessed using precourse and postcourse case studies with embedded questions to assess student empathy. Results Quantitative analysis of the results showed significant increases in understanding of technical and theoretical concepts by the end of the semester (t test, P < .05). However, there was a 50% decrease in students expressing concern about the side effects that radiation would cause the patient. Qualitative assessment revealed that students who indicated no concern about exposing others to radiation were more likely to deflect responsibility for these decisions, while those who expressed concern accepted personal responsibility (Spearman correlation coefficient, P < .05). Conclusion Possible explanations for this trend are discussed, as well as their implications for training health care providers who expose patients to radiation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]