Empathy with patients of general medical students at fasa university of medical sciences, iran
- Author:
Afsaneh GHASEMI
1
Author Information
1. Department of public Health, Fasa University of Medical Sciences
- Publication Type:Journal Article
- Keywords:
Empathy;
Medical students;
Specialty
- From:
Journal of International Pharmaceutical Research
2019;46(1):78-84
- CountryChina
- Language:Chinese
-
Abstract:
Empathy plays a major role in improving and regulating the relationship between physician and patient. The objective of this research was to assess the level of empathy with patients and its relationship with the type of favorite specialty in medical students of Fasa University of Medical Sciences in 2017. In this descriptive cross-sectional study, 120 medical students of Fasa University of Medical Sciences were selected among fifth-year to seventh-year students using census sampling method. Jefferson's empathy questionnaire was used to collect the data. Data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential tests (independent t-test and ANOVA) through SPSS 22 software. The mean score of empathy among medical students was 101.20 ± 16.81 and the highest level of empathy was related to adopting empathic view (50.56 ± 9.54). There was a significant difference between demographic characteristics including gender and interested specialty with the level of empathy (p <0.05). However, the level of empathy with patient did not show significant relationship with other variables, such as marital status, age, and academic years. Results revealed a significant difference between the level of students' empathy and their favorite specialty. Moreover, the level of empathy of medical students with patients increases during academic years, so that the level of empathy in medical students in the sixth year is higher than that in the fifth and fourth years. Given the importance of empathy in the quality of healthcare services, planning to strengthen empathy with patients and inclusion of this concept in medical students' curriculum is recommended.
