Fostering empathy: Gamified approach to address health care disparities

Abstract

<p>Health care disparities pose a significant challenge in modern medicalpractice, including urban settings where social determinants of healthhave context-specific effects on access to care. At the Li Ka ShingFaculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong (HKUMed), a criti-cal issue identified was the lack of understanding and empathy amongmedical students regarding the experiences of vulnerable populations.Traditional medical education often emphasises clinical knowledgeand skills, neglecting the social contexts in which patients live. Conse-quently, future health care practitioners may lack the insights neces-sary for compassionate care, leading to poor patient outcomes anddistrust in patient-provider relationships.1 Recognising this gap, theHealthSeekers Project is a game-based simulation developed throughstudent–educator partnership and supported by the university'sTeaching Development Grant.</p>