Evaluating the longitudinal impact of a disability education intervention on medical students’ attitudes towards persons with a disability

The attitudes and empathy levels of healthcare providers towards persons with a disability have been highlighted as important factors contributing to the quality of healthcare provided to this patient population. This study aimed to investigate whether changes in medical students’ attitudes and empathy towards persons with a disability following an educational intervention were maintained when measured again one year post intervention. This study provided a one year longitudinal follow up to a previous study investigating the efficacy of an educational intervention to cultivate positive change in empathy levels and attitudes towards disability. An online survey was distributed to medical students who had completed a disability module one year previously during their second year of medical training. The survey comprised measures of attitude, empathy and level of social contact with persons with a disability. Though there was a statistically significant increase in both attitude and empathy measures immediately post intervention, these gains were not sustained when measured one year later. In the case of empathy, levels measured one year later had decreased significantly from baseline measures at pretest. No significant relationship was observed between level of social contact and measures of attitudes and empathy. While previous research suggests that the educational intervention has been successful in ameliorating both attitudes and empathy levels in the short term, this study highlights the difficulty in sustaining such improvements. Changes to the design and delivery of educational interventions may be necessary for the benefits to persist into the long term.