Korean J Med Educ.  2016 Sep;28(3):305-313. 10.3946/kjme.2016.35.

Measuring medical students’ empathy using direct verbal expressions

• Hur Y
• Cho AR
• Kim S

• KMID: 2417514
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3946/kjme.2016.35

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.

Keyword

Communication skills; Physician-patient relations; Empathy; Professionalism; Medical education

MeSH Terms

Curriculum
*Education, Medical, Undergraduate
Educational Measurement/*methods
*Empathy
Female
Goals
Humans
Male
*Physician-Patient Relations
Psychometrics
Sex Factors
*Speech
*Students, Medical
Teaching