An interventional study of Film-Based Medical Education and Social Justice Elective in Alexithymia, Empathy Skills and Education, Medical, sponsored by Çanakkale Onsekiz Mart University. Enrolling by invitation at 1 site in Turkey (Türkiye). Open to participants aged 18 Years and older, including healthy volunteers. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-02-25.
Sponsored by Çanakkale Onsekiz Mart University · Not applicable, Interventional, and Other
This study will examine whether a 14-week elective course that uses films and guided discussion on social justice in health care can improve medical students' empathy skills and reduce alexithymia (difficulty recognizing and describing emotions). Approximately 50 volunteer medical students will participate. Students who choose the elective course will form the intervention group, and students who do not take the course will form a comparison group. All participants will complete the same questionnaires/assessments at the beginning and at the end of the semester. The main goal is to compare changes in empathy and alexithymia scores between the two groups.
This is a prospective, nonrandomized controlled pretest-posttest study conducted at Canakkale Onsekiz Mart University Faculty of Medicine. Participants are volunteer medical students (≥18 years). The intervention group consists of students who enroll in the elective course, and the comparison group consists of students from the same student population who do not enroll during the same period.
Data will be collected at two time points: baseline prior to the start of the elective period (T0) and immediately after the end of the elective period (T1, approximately 14 weeks later). At each time point, participants will complete the study instruments administered in a standardized manner. In the intervention group, reflective journals will also be collected throughout the course period to support qualitative interpretation of findings.
The primary analysis will compare within-group change from T0 to T1 and between-group differences in change scores. Descriptive statistics will summarize participant characteristics. Depending on data distribution, paired tests and independent-group tests (or their nonparametric equivalents) will be used for continuous outcomes. Multivariable models may be used to adjust for baseline differences (e.g., class year) if imbalance is observed. Missing data will be handled using a predefined approach (e.g., complete-case analysis with sensitivity checks). No clinical procedures or medical treatments are involved.
Exclusion Criteria:
Participants enrolled in the elective "Film-Based Medical Education and Social Justice" course. The course is delivered over one semester (\~14 weeks) and uses selected films/film clips with structured group discussion and reflection activities.
Behavioral: Film-Based Medical Education and Social Justice Elective
Participants who do not enroll in the elective course during the same period and continue usual curriculum without additional sessions.
A 14-week elective course (approximately 2 hours/week) using selected films/film clips with structured group discussion and reflective activities/journaling.
Also known as: Film-Based Medical Education and Social Justice Course
Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20) Total and Subscale Scores (Change)
Change in TAS-20 total score and subscale scores (Difficulty Identifying Feelings, Difficulty Describing Feelings, Externally Oriented Thinking). Higher scores indicate higher alexithymia.
Time frame: Baseline (T0) and end of course (T1, approximately 14 weeks)
Scenario-Based Empathy Skills Total Score and Rubric Subscores (Change)
Change in total empathy skills score derived from responses to study-developed scenarios scored with a rubric based on Dökmen's staged empathy classification; includes rubric subscores/levels if applicable.
Time frame: Baseline (T0) and end of course (T1, approximately 14 weeks)
Jefferson Scale of Empathy S(tudent)-Version
JSE-S is a self-administered 20-item questionnaire scored on a 7-point Likert scale (1=strongly disagree to 7=strongly agree). Total score is the sum of item scores (range 20-140); higher scores indicate higher empathy.
Time frame: Baseline (T0) and end of course (T1, approximately 14 weeks)
Association Between Change in TAS-20 and Change in Empathy Score
Correlation/association between ΔTAS-20 (T1-T0) and ΔEmpathy (T1-T0) (Pearson or Spearman depending on distribution).
Time frame: From baseline (T0) to end of course (T1, approximately 14 weeks)
Jefferson Scale of Empathy - Student Version (JSE-S) Subscale/Factor Scores (Change)
Change in JSE-S factor/subscale scores (e.g., Perspective Taking, Compassionate Care, Standing in Patient's Shoes; if applicable per scoring approach used). Higher scores indicate higher empathy.
Time frame: Baseline (T0) and end of course (T1, approximately 14 weeks)
Association Between JSE-S Score and Scenario-Based Empathy Skills Score (Convergent Validity)
Correlation/association between JSE-S total score and Scenario-Based Empathy Skills total score at T0 and at T1 (Pearson or Spearman depending on distribution), and/or association between change scores (ΔJSE-S vs ΔScenario score).
Time frame: Baseline (T0) and end of course (T1, approximately 14 weeks)
Reflective Journal Themes (Intervention Group Only)
De-identified reflective journals collected after sessions will be analyzed using thematic/content analysis to contextualize and deepen interpretation of quantitative findings.
Time frame: After each session during the course period (approximately 14 weeks); analyzed after T1
Plan to share: Undecided — De-identified individual participant data (IPD) underlying the results reported in publications (e.g., TAS-20 total/subscale scores and scenario-based empathy scores at T0 and T1) will be made available to qualified researchers upon reasonable request. Data will be shared after publication of the primary results, for up to 5 years. Requests will be reviewed by the study team and may require a data use agreement. Shared datasets will be de-identified and will not include direct identifiers; access will be limited to the minimum necessary to protect participant confidentiality.
Eligibility is decided by the study team. Share this record with your doctor or contact the team directly.
No contact was published for this record. The registry link below has the sponsor’s details.
Get an email when the registry record changes — status, dates, results — or when someone posts here.
Sign in to followQuestions and observations about this study, from anyone following it. Not medical advice, and not a channel to the study team — their contact details are on the registry record.
Sign in to join the discussion. Reading takes no account; posting does. You choose a display name, and a pseudonym is the default.
Nothing here yet. If you are running this trial, taking part in it, or weighing whether to, this is the place to say so.
Çanakkale Onsekiz Mart University