Changes in Dental Student Empathy During Training

Abstract

Because empathic patient interactions by dentists are associated with improved patient outcomes, self-reported declines in empathy during dental student training are a concern. This study examined differences in empathy in 178 dental students at the University of Toronto and the University of Western Ontario from years one through four using an anonymous self-report webbased survey in a cross-sectional design. To localize the effects of training on empathy, an instrument that separately evaluated emotive (Emo) and cognitive (Cog) types of empathy in both personal (Per) and professional (Pro) contexts was developed, using items modified from previously validated scales and resulting in an empathy scale with four thirteen-item subscales (Per-Emo, Per-Cog, Pro-Emo, Pro-Cog). The response rate was 36.5 percent, and all subscales showed good reliability and validity. A 2x2x4 mixed design ANOVA tested differences in mean scores among the four subscales across the four years of training. Following a significant three-way interaction, subanalyses demonstrated no significant effects in the Per-context, but a significant year by empathy-type interaction in the Pro-context. Post hoc analyses of Pro measures indicated year three emotive empathy scores were significantly lower than earlier years, whereas years three and four cognitive empathy scores were significantly higher. This isolated decrease in Pro-Emo empathy with an increase in Pro-Cog empathy is consistent with the development of "professional empathy," described elsewhere as detached concern.Dr. Yarascavitch is a graduate student at

Distribución de la orientación empática en estudiantes de odontología. Cartagena, Colombia

“…Estos cursos enfatizan en el uso de comportamientos no verbales (por ejemplo, asintiendo con su consentimiento, contacto visual o postura corporal) y los comportamientos verbales requeridos tales como la reflexión, la validación, el apoyo, la colaboración y el respeto que demuestran empatía de la comunicación. Así mismo Yarascavitch (20), al evaluar la empatía emotiva y cognitiva, en estudiantes de odontología de primer a cuarto nivel de la Universidad de Toronto y la Universidad de Western Ontario, encontró que la empatía emotiva disminuyó a medida que avanzaba el nivel de formación y la empatía cognitiva mostró un aumento en los niveles superiores, lo que es coherente con el desarrollo de la "empatía profesional". En cualquier caso para corroborar la validez de estos dos postulados, se debe tener en cuenta que la educación en ciencias de la conducta y la formación complementaria pueden ser eficaces en el aumento del auto-reporte de la empatía.…”

Minimally invasive dentistry approach in dental public health

“…They assumed their low response rate was due to the fact that the first mailing was sent before a holiday period. The response rate was also similar to a web-based dental survey on changes in dental students' empathy training reported by Yarascavitch et al, 114 which had a response rate of 36.5%. The authors believed the response rate was a limitation in their study.…”

“…The response rate for this study, as the result of two e-mails, was 37.5%. Even though the response rate overall was low, it was reasonable compared to response rates of other studies 89,114,115 . Gaskin & others 89 achieved a response rate of 31.0% in their study which analyzed the knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors of federal service and civilian dentists concerning Minimal Intervention Dentistry.…”

Atitude empática em estudantes de odontologia da Universidade Corporation Rafael Núñez na cidade de Cartagena

“…Lo anterior coincide también con los hallazgos de Rojas-Serey, Castañeda-Barthelemiez y Parraguez-Infiesta y Ward et al en otras profesiones, como la medicina y la kinesiología, quienes concuerdan en que los estudiantes con mayor experiencia clínica tienen puntuaciones más altas que los otros de menor contacto con pacientes. Igualmente, autores como Yarascavitch et al encontraron que en 178 estudiantes de odontología de 1º a 4º nivel de la Universidad de Toronto y la Universidad de Western Ontario la empatía emotiva disminuyó a medida que avanzaba el nivel de formación y la empatía cognitiva mostró un aumento en los niveles superiores, lo que es coherente con el desarrollo de la "empatía profesional"; el estudio se realizó a través de un instrumento que evaluó por separado los tipos de empatía emotiva y cognitiva en contextos tanto personales como profesionales (4,5,13,17,(24)(25)(26).…”