Document Type (Journals)
Original Research
Abstract
Due to advancements in medical science leading to increased life expectancy, the number of older adults is on the rise. Empathy is crucial in catering to the unique needs of this vulnerable population. The use of geriatric simulation suits to cultivate empathy among health science students is gaining traction. Nevertheless, the efficacy of this teaching approach remains unexplored among occupational therapy students. We recruited a convenience sample of 21 occupational therapy graduate students for a mixed methods study. Participants engaged in a two-hour session during which they performed daily tasks like meal preparation, laundry, and dressing while wearing various components of a geriatric simulation suit. Empathy levels were evaluated before and after simulation using an abridged and modified version of the Comprehensive State Empathy Scale. Participants engaged in focus group discussions regarding their experiences with using the geriatric suit. Thematic analysis was employed to analyze the qualitative data. A significant rise (p<0.001) in mean empathy scores following geriatric simulation was noted. Three main themes and nine sub-themes emerged from the focus group discussions, indicating that participants gained a deeper understanding of the challenges encountered by older adults and demonstrated greater empathy towards them. The findings of this study address the existing gap in literature, demonstrating that geriatric simulation is an effective method for promoting empathy towards older persons among occupational therapy graduate students.
Biography
Dr. Sabina Khan, PhD, OTD, MS, OTR/L is an Assistant Professor at the University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences in Miami, FL.
Dr. Jacqueline Achon, OTD, MS, OTR/L, CSRS, CFPS is a Clinical Instructor at the University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences in Miami, FL.
Declaration of Interest
The authors report no declarations of interest.
Recommended Citation
Khan, S., & Achon, J. (2024). Using Experiential Geriatric Simulation to Foster Empathy Among Occupational Therapy Students: A Mixed Methods Study. Journal of Occupational Therapy Education, 8 (3). Retrieved from https://encompass.eku.edu/jote/vol8/iss3/5
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License.