Validation of an Empathy Scale in Pharmacy and Nursing Students

Abstract

Objective. To validate an empathy scale to measure empathy in pharmacy and nursing students. Methods. A 15-item instrument comprised of the cognitive and affective empathy domains, was created. Each item was rated using a 7-point Likert scale, ranging from strongly disagree to strongly agree. Concurrent validity was demonstrated with the Jefferson Scale of Empathy -Health Professional Students (JSE-HPS).Results. Reliability analysis of data from 216 students (pharmacy, N5158; nursing, N558) showed that scores on the empathy scale were positively associated with JSE-HPS scores (p,0.001). Factor analysis confirmed that 14 of the 15 items were significantly associated with their respective domain, but the overall instrument had limited goodness of fit. Conclusions.Results of this study demonstrate the reliability and validity of a new scale for evaluating student empathy. Further testing of the scale at other universities is needed to establish validity.

Empathy In Chinese Pharmacy Undergraduates: Implication for Integrating Humanities Into Professional Pharmacy Education

“…In this study, we provide evidence in support of reliability and construct validity of JSE-HPS for assessing empathy among Chinese pharmacy students. Cronbach's alpha coefficient in this study (0.81) was similar to those reported for American pharmacy students (0.80-0.84), 9,19 indicating that the JSE-HPS is internally consistent in Chinese pharmacy students. Factor analysis in Chinese pharmacy students showed a three-factor solution that was somewhat similar to the pattern that emerged from Hojat's original study 23 using the original JSPE on physicians.…”

“…9 firstly examined the validity and reliability of the JSE-HPS in 187 first-year pharmacy students at Midwestern University Chicago College of Pharmacy. 19 then showed that scores on the empathy scale were positively associated with JSE-HPS scores in 158 American pharmacy students. In this study, we provide evidence in support of reliability and construct validity of JSE-HPS for assessing empathy among Chinese pharmacy students.…”

“…19,20 JSE-HPS has long been recognised as a validated instrument for empathy studies in pharmacy education, and was believed appropriate for the assessment of educational outcomes of different programs to enhance empathy and research on correlates of empathy in pharmacy education and practice. 9 The original Jefferson Scale of Physician Empathy (JSPE) developed nearly a decade ago has been widely used to measure empathy in physicians and medical students around the world, including a recent report on Chinese medical students.…”

“…The importance of displaying empathy during all healthcare interactions has been recognized and integrated in American pharmacy education. 19 In China, pharmacy curricula are mainly in the professional areas, while humanistic education is restricted to ideology and politics curriculum thus relatively less. Lack of humanistic education centered on empathy in pharmacy teaching is responsible for deficiency in communication skills amongst healthcare providers, in turn; long-standing tension in the healthcare providerpatient relationship in China.…”

“…The answers to these questions can provide a reference for educators to implement curricular changes and develop educational guideline. Jefferson Scale of Empathy-Health Profession Student version (JSE-HPS), a valid and reliable instrument for measuring empathy among pharmacy students, 9,19 was completed by 263 pharmacy undergraduates at College of Medicine, Wuhan University of Science and Technology. Based on students' empathetic qualities, tendencies and willingness, some recommendations about Chinese humanistic education centered on empathy in pharmacy teaching were put forward.…”