The complexity of empathy during medical school training: evidence for positive changes.

ABSTRACT:

Context

Empathy is an essential aspect of clinical care, associated with improved patient satisfaction, increased adherence to treatment, and fewer malpractice complaints. Previous studies suggest that empathy declines during medical training. However, past research relied on a single narrowly operationalised, self-report measure of empathy. As empathy is a complex socio-emotional construct, it is critical to assess changes across its distinct components using multiple measures in order to better understand how it is influenced by medical training.

Methods

In a longitudinal study, medical students completed a series of self-report and behavioural measures twice per year during the first 3 years of their study (2012-2015). These included the previously used Jefferson Scale of

SUBMITTER: Smith KE 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5657391 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature