Measuring medical students’ empathy using direct verbal expressions.
- Author:
Yera HUR
1
;
A Ra CHO
;
Sun KIM
Author Information
- Publication Type:Original Article
- Keywords: Communication skills; Physician-patient relations; Empathy; Professionalism; Medical education
- MeSH: Education; Education, Medical; Empathy*; Humans; Physician-Patient Relations; Professionalism; Students, Medical
- From:Korean Journal of Medical Education 2016;28(3):305-313
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:English
- Abstract: PURPOSE: Empathy is an important trait in physicians and a key element in the physician-patient relationship. Accordingly, one of the goals in medical education is developing empathy in students. We attempted to practically assess medical students’ empathy through their direct verbal expressions. METHODS: The medical students’ empathy was measured using the modified Pencil-and-Paper Empathy Rating Test by Winefield and Chur-Hansen (2001). The students took 15 minutes or so to complete the scale, and it was then scored by one of two trained evaluators (0 to 4 points for each item, for a total score of 40). The subjects were 605 medical students, and the data were analyzed using descriptive analysis, independent t-test, and one-way analysis of variance in SPSS version 21.0. RESULTS: The students’ empathy scores were low (mean, 12.13; standard deviation, 2.55); their most common responses (78.6%) registered as non-empathetic. Differences in empathy were observed by gender (female students>male students; t=-5.068, p<0.001), school system (medical school>medical college; t=-1.935, p=0.053), and academic level (pre-medical 1 year < other years; t=-4.050, p<0.001). CONCLUSION: Our findings lead us to the significant conclusion that there is the need for empathy enhancement training programs with practical content.
