gms | German Medical Science

Problems/Aims: A previously performed needs assessment study about de-anonymisation of body donors showed that medical students desire more information about their body donor. But often anatomical institutes have only access to limited information available from death certificates. To offer a feasible solution for students and anatomists, additional information about donors were synthesised in a 26min video. Before implementing this video routinely, a study was designed to detect the video’s effects on students’ psychic stress and their assessed empathy.

Methods: The study was designed as a longitudinal, controlled cross-over study including 77 (48f/29m) medical students visiting the gross anatomy course. Students were allocated to three study groups by cluster-randomization. Participants saw the video either before, midway or after the anatomy course. At each timepoint participants from all groups filled in standardized questionnaires. Students’ empathy score and psychic stress were measured using the Jefferson Scale of Empathy Student Version (JSPE-S), the Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI) and the Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI).

Results: Overall, a 97% response rate was achieved. Students reported by majority only low anxiety (Ø1,28±0,71; max 6 point-Likert-Scale) and recommended the film to be shown to all students (Ø5,31±0,89). Data analysis is still ongoing, but preliminary results indicate a reduction in BSI global scale after viewing the film compared to controls.

Discussion/Conclusions: Data of standardized instruments will be valuable in the present discussion about de-anonymisation of donors and its effects. Data might encourage future strategies to integrate more donor information into anatomy teaching unafraid of possible harm to the students´ feelings