Abstract
BackgroundPatients fearing dental interventions are at risk of delaying or skipping much-needed treatments. Empathic communication could lead to a higher rate of compliance from patients within this group. Empathy, the big five personality traits, and emotion management abilities are all known to influence the quality of communication between dentists and patients. This study was conducted to analyze whether there is a correlation between these factors in dentistry students.MethodsDentistry students in their 2nd and 4th year of study were asked to complete questionnaires assessing empathy, emotion management, and personality traits. Out of a total of 148 eligible participants, 53 students (34%) volunteered to participate. For empathy, the Jefferson Scale of Physician Empathy (students’ version; JSPE-S) and the Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI) were used. Personality traits were assessed using the Short Big Five Inventory (BFI-s), and the Situational Test of Emotional Management (STEM) to measure emotional management ability.ResultsHigher scores for emotion management were significantly correlated with the female gender (p ≤ 0.005) and with higher scores in openness (p ≤ 0.05). Students with higher scores in openness also achieved higher scores on the IRI subscales: Perspective taking (p ≤ 0.05), Fantasy (p ≤ 0.01), Empathic concern (p ≤ 0.05), and Personal distress (p ≤ 0.05). For JSPE-S, no correlation with emotion management and personality traits was found.ConclusionEmpathy and emotion management might not be significantly related in dentistry students. Regarding personality traits, students who scored higher on openness also indicated higher abilities in emotion management. These findings should be taken into consideration when planning communication courses for dentistry students, as it might be possible to independently train empathy and emotion management as part of emotional intelligence.
Highlights
Face-to-face communication should not be underestimated as part of the doctor-patient relationship [1]
The present study investigated the correlation between self-assessed empathy, personality traits and emotion management abilities in 2nd- and 4th-year dentistry students
Higher emotional management abilities were correlated with the female gender and a more open personality
Summary
Face-to-face communication should not be underestimated as part of the doctor-patient relationship [1]. Lermen et al BMC Medical Education (2022) 22:2 and success is evident in the new revision of the dental license regulations in Germany [6]. In this revision of the license to practice, which originally dates back to 1955, communication is set for the first time as a learning goal within the framework of dental/medical studies [6]. The NKLZ describes the graduate profile of dentists from dental/medical school and should serve as an orientation for faculties and dentistry students. It relates to the CanMEDs rolls [8], and defines the dentist as a communicator who is capable of effective patient-centered communication [7]. This study was conducted to analyze whether there is a correlation between these factors in dentistry students
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