An assessment of empathy levels of dental students’ in Nepal: A cross-sectional comparative study

Abstract

<jats:p>Background: Empathy is a behavioural aspect of understanding and communicating with a desire to help. Empathy in medical personnel with patient is one of the basic ingredients of good physician/dentist –patient relationships.&#x0D; Objectives: To assess empathy level among dental undergraduate students, interns and dental postgraduate students of Nepal and to investigate the differences in empathy scores based on gender and year of dental training.&#x0D; Methodology: A cross-sectional questionnaire study was carried out among 240 dental students of different dental colleges in Nepal. Eighty students were included in each group of third to final-year undergraduate dental students, interns and postgraduate students. Data was collected using a standard-validated, self-administered Jefferson Scale of Empathy-Health Care Provider Student Version (JSE-HPS). This questionnaire included 20 items with a seven-point Likert scale. This scale has relevant content that allows assessing empathy between students and their patients. The collected data was entered in Microsoft Excel and statistical analysis was done in Statistical Package for the Social Sciences version 20.&#x0D; Results: Out of 240 dental students, 74 (30.8%) were males and 166 (69.2%) were females with the mean age of 25.35 ±3.203. The mean empathy score was 79.59 ± 6.492.There was no significant difference in mean empathy level score by gender. The interns were the most empathetic (80.80 ± 6.147). The mean empathy score was found to be highest for the students with less than one year of experience of treating patient (81.85 ± 7.841).&#x0D; Conclusion: Empathy should be given importance to in dental curriculum to improve dentist-patient relationship, thereby improving the treatment outcomes.</jats:p>

Appraisal of empathy among dental interns and postgraduate students at King Abdulaziz University: A cross‐sectional study

“…23,38 Other investigators showed either no difference in empathy levels of postgraduates during their clinical training 39,40 or even lower empathy scores in postgraduate students. 18 Several researchers stated that interns had the highest empathy levels in comparison to undergrads, 22,37,[41][42][43] while others showed lower empathy levels in dental interns. 8,17 Changes in dental students 'empathy levels could be associated initially with cultural differences, heritage, faith, passion, affective features, and social behaviors.…”

“…Several researchers stated that interns had the highest empathy levels in comparison to undergrads, 22,37,41–43 while others showed lower empathy levels in dental interns 8,17 . Changes in dental students ‘empathy levels could be associated initially with cultural differences, heritage, faith, passion, affective features, and social behaviors 37,44 .…”

The Evaluation of Empathy Levels of Undergraduate Students of a Faculty of Dentistry

“…t değerlendirildiği birçok çalışma bulunmaktadır (2,3,6,7,8,11,12). Amerikan Diş Hekimliği Eğitimi Derneği, sağlıklı diş hekimi-hasta ilişkilerinde empatinin önemli bir rol oynadığını belirterek, empatiyi diş hekimliği eğitimi için en önemli ikinci klinik yeterlilik olarak listelemiş ve empatinin diş hekimliği müfredatına dahil edilmesinin önemini vurgulamıştır (3,8,11).…”

“…Bununla birlikte, bir klinisyen için eşit derecede önemli olan diğer bir özellik ise empatidir (5). Empati, iyi bir doktor-hasta ilişkisinin temel "öğelerinden" biridir ve genellikle sağlık çalışanları için önemli bir nitelik olarak kabul edilir (6)(7)(8). Sağlık hizmeti ortamında empati bir hastanın semptomlarından, hastalıklarından etkilenen duygularını nasıl deneyimlediğini anlama yeteneğini ve bu anlayışı hastaya iletme yeteneğini içeren bilişsel ve davranışsal bir nitelik olarak görülebilir (6,8,9).…”

“…Empati, iyi bir doktor-hasta ilişkisinin temel "öğelerinden" biridir ve genellikle sağlık çalışanları için önemli bir nitelik olarak kabul edilir (6)(7)(8). Sağlık hizmeti ortamında empati bir hastanın semptomlarından, hastalıklarından etkilenen duygularını nasıl deneyimlediğini anlama yeteneğini ve bu anlayışı hastaya iletme yeteneğini içeren bilişsel ve davranışsal bir nitelik olarak görülebilir (6,8,9). Başka bir kişinin duygularını anlama yeteneği olan empati, hasta hekim ilişkisinde "klinik empati" adını alır (10).…”