Empathy of medical interns of Kashan university of medical sciences and its comparison with the patients' perceived empathy in 2018

• Main Authors: Maryam Akbarilake, Seyed-Alireza Moraveji, Parsa Rabbani, Hamideh Ghaffarian
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications 2020-01-01
• Series: International Archives of Health Sciences
• Subjects: empathy; intern; patients' empathy perception (ppe)
• Online Access: http://www.iahs.kaums.ac.ir/article.asp?issn=2383-2568;year=2020;volume=7;issue=2;spage=53;epage=57;aulast=Akbarilake

Background: Empathy is foundation of the positive physician and patient connection. Physician empathy and the patients' perceived of the physician's empathy can lead to a more positive clinical outcome. Empathy has identified as a main goal of instruct. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study employing a convenience sample of interns and their patients in hospitals in Kashan, Iran, 2018. The Jefferson Scale of Physician Empathy was completed by interns and their patients evaluated by completing the Jefferson Scale of Patient Perceptions of Physician Empathy. Results: The mean score of interns' empathy and the perception of patients' empathy was 72.65 ± 7.99, and 18 ± 3.07, that the mean score of interns' empathy is very low. The gender of interns had no significant effects on their empathy (P = 0.236), and there was no significant relationship between patient's perceived empathy with age (P = 0.3), sex (P = 0.651), and marital status. Statistically significant correlation was found between scores of interns' empathy and patients' perceived empathy (r = 0.49, P = 0.001). According to questionnaire (self-reported), the interns' empathy in surgical ward was significantly higher than the internal medicine wards (P = 0.01). However, according to self-assessment, the interns' empathy in wards was alike (0.08). There was no significant relationship between patients perceived empathy with different wards (0.92). Conclusion: Due to the low empathy score of interns, medical students should be trained on value-based curriculum. Also because the patients' empathy perception in the different wards was alike, the difference of interns' empathy is unimportant. Hence, in the future studies, perceived empathy by patients is more accurate.