Abstract
Objective To evaluate empathy and its related factors among undergraduate dental students and interns enrolled in a public dental college in Dammam, Saudi Arabia. Materials and Methods This cross-sectional study used the Jefferson Scale of Empathy-Health Profession Students (JSE-HPS) version to determine empathy in 362 dental students and interns in Dammam, Saudi Arabia. The JSE-HPS is a 20-item 7-point Likert scale questionnaire, and its score ranges from 20 to 140 with high values indicating increased empathy. Influences of age, gender, class year, previous year's grade point average (GPA), educational attainment of parents, and monthly family income on empathy were evaluated. Results Of 501 enrolled students and interns, 362 returned completed questionnaires, and the response rate of the study was 72%. The sample's empathy score (JSPE-HPS scale) ranged from 70 to 129 with a mean of 96.75 (±13.76). Most participants believed that empathy is important for effective communication with patients (96.1%) and can improve the provider-patient relationship (95.6%). Females demonstrated a significantly higher mean empathy score (99.98 ± 14.01) than males (92.72 ± 12.35) (P < 0.001). Similarly, the participants with high GPA (98.06 ± 13.69) had significantly greater mean empathy scores than those with low GPA (94.84 ± 13.68) (P=0.029). The mean empathy score increased significantly from junior students (3rd and 4th year students) to senior students (5th and 6th year students) and interns (P=0.008). Multiple linear regression analysis showed that class year (B = 2.03, P=0.006) and GPA (B = 8.67, P=0.003) were significant factors associated with empathy. Conclusions Empathy is important for effective patient communication and improved provider-patient relationship. Female gender, high GPA, and class years were associated with empathy. Empathy should be integrated into dental curricula for effective student learning and positive patient care outcomes.
Highlights
Empathy, an important phenomenon in patient and healthcare provider relationship, is the ability of an individual to stand in the shoes of another person to better understand his/her perspective or situation [1, 2]
It was reported that diabetic patients treated by physicians with higher scores of empathy demonstrated significantly improved control of hemoglobin A1c than those patients who were treated by physicians with low empathy scores [3]
Ere is unquestionable importance of empathy in clinical practice; its various aspects have not been fully investigated in dentistry. erefore, it is important to evaluate the influence of gender, grade point average (GPA), class year, and socioeconomic status factors on the perception of empathy. e understanding of empathy among students and interns can be used to improve the dental curricula and ensure a high quality of patient care. e current study aimed to evaluate empathy and its related factors among undergraduate dental students and interns enrolled in a public dental college in Dammam, Saudi Arabia
Summary
An important phenomenon in patient and healthcare provider relationship, is the ability of an individual to stand in the shoes of another person to better understand his/her perspective or situation [1, 2]. Ere are studies about an association between empathy among healthcare providers and positive clinical outcomes [3, 4]. Empathy is known to reduce dental fear, improve the provider-patient relationship, enhance patient cooperation and compliance, and bring positive clinical outcomes and high patient satisfaction [9, 10]. Ere is evidence about higher levels of empathy in female students compared with male students of dentistry and other healthcare professions [11,12,13]. Another study reported the highest mean empathy score in the first year (117.23 ± 14.19) and the lowest mean empathy score in postgraduate dental students (108.77 ± 9.12) [15]. E understanding of empathy among students and interns can be used to improve the dental curricula and ensure a high quality of patient care. Ere is unquestionable importance of empathy in clinical practice; its various aspects have not been fully investigated in dentistry. erefore, it is important to evaluate the influence of gender, grade point average (GPA), class year, and socioeconomic status factors on the perception of empathy. e understanding of empathy among students and interns can be used to improve the dental curricula and ensure a high quality of patient care. e current study aimed to evaluate empathy and its related factors among undergraduate dental students and interns enrolled in a public dental college in Dammam, Saudi Arabia
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