Measuring Empathy among Dental Students and Interns: A Cross-Sectional Study from Dammam, Saudi Arabia

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.

Level of empathy in dental students from a Paraguayan university during patient care in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, 2021

“…Mientras que en otros estudios realizados en estudiantes de Arabia Saudita las mujeres demostraron una nivel medio de empatía significativamente más alta puntuación que los varones (19,20) .…”

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

“…28 The results of the JSPE questionnaire showed high general empathy levels which is consistent with the scores collected using the same questionnaire for the same targeted population in other similar studies. 12,20,22,[28][29][30] Therefore, we failed to reject the null hypothesis that graduate students have higher empathetic tendencies due to their exposure to everyday workload stress. However, high empathy levels of dental interns and postgraduate students might be attributed to the fact that they have more experience and less exams-associated stress, and subsequently experienced more empathy than their undergraduate counterparts as reported in a previous 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.…”

“…10,12 Due to the importance of empathy in building a cognate relationship between dentists and their patients, the American Dental Education Association has placed particular emphasis on integrating empathy into dental pedagogy. 13 Empathy has been frequently studied in undergraduate medical students, 14,15 and since it was mediated as the second imperative competency for dentistry, 12,16 many studies have been conducted on the empathy of undergraduate dental students, 8,[17][18][19][20] while few assessed empathy levels in dental interns, 21,22 and in postgraduate students. 18,23,24 Dental students encounter a taxing and stress-inducing learning environment.…”

“…Empathy has been frequently studied in undergraduate medical students, 14,15 and since it was mediated as the second imperative competency for dentistry, 12,16 many studies have been conducted on the empathy of undergraduate dental students, 8,17–20 while few assessed empathy levels in dental interns, 21,22 and in postgraduate students 18,23,24 …”