BACKGROUND: Empathy is necessary for communication between patients and physicians to achieve optimal clinical outcomes. AIM: To examine associations between Simulated Patients' (SPs) assessment of medical students' empathy and the students' self-reported empathy. METHODS: A total of 248 third-year medical students completed the Jefferson Scale of Physician Empathy (JSPE). SPs completed the Jefferson Scale of Patient Perceptions of Physician Empathy (JSPPPE), and a global rating of empathy in 10 objective clinical skills examination encounters during a comprehensive end of third-year clinical skills examination. RESULTS: High correlation was found between the scores on the JSPPPE and the global ratings of empathy completed by the SPs (r = 0.87, p < 0.01). A moderate but statistically significant correlation was observed between scores of the JSPE and the JSPPPE (r = 0.19, p < 0.05). Significant differences were observed on the JSPE and global ratings of empathy among top, middle and low scorers on the JSPPPE in the expected direction. CONCLUSIONS: While significant associations exist between students' self-reported scores on the JSPE and SPs' evaluations of students' empathy, the associations are not large enough to conclude that the two evaluations are redundant.
BACKGROUND: Empathy is necessary for communication between patients and physicians to achieve optimal clinical outcomes. AIM: To examine associations between Simulated Patients' (SPs) assessment of medical students' empathy and the students' self-reported empathy. METHODS: A total of 248 third-year medical students completed the Jefferson Scale of Physician Empathy (JSPE). SPs completed the Jefferson Scale of Patient Perceptions of Physician Empathy (JSPPPE), and a global rating of empathy in 10 objective clinical skills examination encounters during a comprehensive end of third-year clinical skills examination. RESULTS: High correlation was found between the scores on the JSPPPE and the global ratings of empathy completed by the SPs (r = 0.87, p < 0.01). A moderate but statistically significant correlation was observed between scores of the JSPE and the JSPPPE (r = 0.19, p < 0.05). Significant differences were observed on the JSPE and global ratings of empathy among top, middle and low scorers on the JSPPPE in the expected direction. CONCLUSIONS: While significant associations exist between students' self-reported scores on the JSPE and SPs' evaluations of students' empathy, the associations are not large enough to conclude that the two evaluations are redundant.
Authors: Muhammad J Hashim; Stella Major; Deen M Mirza; Engela A M Prinsloo; Ossama Osman; Leena Amiri; Michelle McLean Journal: Sultan Qaboos Univ Med J Date: 2013-02-27
Authors: Tabor E Flickinger; Somnath Saha; Debra Roter; P Todd Korthuis; Victoria Sharp; Jonathan Cohn; Susan Eggly; Richard D Moore; Mary Catherine Beach Journal: Patient Educ Couns Date: 2015-09-03
Authors: Elisabeth Assing Hvidt; Jens Søndergaard; Sonja Wehberg; Niels Christian Hvidt; Christina Maar Andersen Journal: BMC Med Educ Date: 2022-06-23 Impact factor: 3.263