title: Training clinicians to accurately perceive their patients: current state and future directions.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To review the literature on training clinicians' person perception accuracy, or the ability to correctly judge patients' states and traits. To present the importance of training this skill, share evidence it is a trainable skill, and suggest evidence-based recommendations for implementing training.
  
  
  METHODS
  We conducted a literature review on person perception training studies developed for or implemented with clinicians. We also summarized measures to evaluate training efficacy, barriers to implementation, and future research directions.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Training studies exist to improve clinicians' ability to perceive patients' emotions, pain, distress, and depression. These varied in training approach, length of training, and study design. Ten of 13 studies showed training benefited person perception accuracy.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The medical literature and previous meta-analysis on person perception training across contexts demonstrate that training person perception accuracy can be effective. Examples of effective trainings provide suggestions of best-practices for future efforts in this area.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  More evidence is needed to create and implement trainings which produce not only differences in accuracy but also in patient care and outcomes. Medical curriculum developers and researchers should collaborate to create effective person perception trainings for clinicians.
authors.affiliation: Office of Cancer Survivorship, Division of Cancer Control and Population Sciences, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, USA. danielleblanch@gmail.com
authors.forename: Danielle
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Blanch-Hartigan
authors.forename: Mollie A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Ruben
mesh_terms: D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D004501:Education, Medical; D006282:Health Personnel / Q000193:education* / Q000523:psychology; D006801:Humans; D018802:Patient-Centered Care / Q000379:methods; D010361:Patients; D010465:Perception; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations
keywords: Emotion recognition; Medical education; Patient-centered care; Person perception accuracy; Training