@article{Ahmadzadeh_Nasr Esfahani_Ahmadzad-Asl_Shalbafan_Shariat_2019, title={Does watching a movie improve empathy? A cluster randomized controlled trial}, volume={10}, url={https://journalhosting.ucalgary.ca/index.php/cmej/article/view/56979}, DOI={10.36834/cmej.56979}, abstractNote={<p><strong>Background: </strong>We studied if watching a movie about the patient physician encounter alone or in combination with a communication skills training workshop could improve empathy score of medical students. <strong>Methods</strong>: One hundred and thirty three medical students participated in one of the following four groups of the study. Group A: a three hour workshop (42 students); group B: watching the movie “The Doctor” (23 students); group C: watching the movie “The Doctor”, then, participating in a three hour workshop the next day (22 students); group D: control group with no intervention (46 students). Participants completed Jefferson Scale of Empathy (JSE), Student Version to assess empathy score before and after the intervention, and one month later. A linear mixed effect model analyzed the effect of intervention across groups considering the effects of other significant variables. <strong>Results</strong>: All of the three interventions had an immediate improving effect on empathy scores compared to control group. However, the improvement effect remained significant only in groups A (p=.015) and C (p=.001) one month later. <strong>Conclusions</strong>: Watching selected movies has a significant but transient effect on empathy of students. Combining two methods of watching the movie and communication skills workshop, seems to add the beneficial effects.</p>}, number={4}, journal={Canadian Medical Education Journal}, author={Ahmadzadeh, Azin and Nasr Esfahani, Mehdi and Ahmadzad-Asl, Masoud and Shalbafan, Mohammadreza and Shariat, Seyed Vahid}, year={2019}, month={Nov.}, pages={e4-e12} }