The ENDO-Study: A qualitative study to assess the impact of a short film on medical students’ understanding and perception of endometriosis

Abstract

This study investigates the effectiveness of a short film, END-O, as an educational tool for enhancing medical students' understanding of endometriosis and its impact on patients' quality of life. Endometriosis, a prevalent yet often underdiagnosed condition affecting women, presents significant physical and emotional challenges. A qualitative approach was employed, involving 23 sixth-year medical students randomly assigned to either a study group (n=11) that viewed the film or a control group (n=12) that did not. Following a lecture on endometriosis, both groups completed questionnaires assessing their understanding and perceptions of the disease. The study group demonstrated significantly greater recognition of symptoms (p = 0.005) and expressed more detailed insights regarding the disease's impact on life, including emotional and social dimensions. The findings suggest that the film effectively promotes empathy and a deeper understanding of endometriosis among future healthcare providers, highlighting the importance of integrating humanistic approaches in medical education. This intervention may contribute to addressing the critical underdiagnosis and undertreatment of endometriosis.

Keywords

• endometriosis
• empathy
• compassion
• understanding
• Medical students
• short film