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Background/objective: A fundamental component of a trustful patient-physician relationship is that patients feel taken seriously by their healthcare provider. However, many patients report experiencing the opposite, which can have significant consequences. This phenomenon, known as medical invalidation, arises from various factors, many of which are rooted in the structural aspects of healthcare systems. However, it remains unclear which aspects of medical invalidation are linked to educational factors.

Methods: To explore this question, findings related to the educational aspects of medical invalidation were synthesized from two studies: a scoping review with conceptual analysis and a qualitative interview study. The scoping review followed a systematic search strategy across five databases, including grey literature. Abstracts and full texts were screened by two reviewers, and studies addressing medical invalidation or the experience of not being taken seriously were included. For this abstract, studies that explicitly examined educational aspects were identified and summarized. In the qualitative study, 18 participants who had experienced not being taken seriously were interviewed about their perspectives on the causes of medical invalidation. Data collection is ongoing, and thematic analysis is being applied. Preliminary themes related to educational aspects were identified.

Results: The scoping review identified a total of 171 articles, of which 12 (7%) explicitly addressed educational aspects. These included curriculum development for the topic of “medical uncertainty”, courses designed to help healthcare professionals build concordance with patients, and training in validating (empathic) communication. In the interview study, while results remain preliminary, educational themes related to medical invalidation include communication skills, active listening, continuing medical education, sufficient medical knowledge, the ability to provide interprofessional care, and empathy.

Discussion: The experience of not being taken seriously in medical encounters has multiple causes. This study synthesizes potential educational factors underlying medical invalidation based on two different approaches – a scoping review and preliminary findings from a qualitative interview study. The identified educational aspects include communication skills (particularly active listening), managing medical uncertainty, empathy, building patient relationships, maintaining sufficient medical knowledge, and the ability to provide interprofessional care.