Open AccessA cross-sectional study of factors determining empathy levels among undergraduate medical students of a medical college in Northern Telangana
Author(s) -
Shiv Kumar R,
Puli Sk,
Kishan Porandla,
Sanjay Nd,
Pusukuri Sphurthi,
Ayesha Sultana,
Kashif Momin
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
perspectives in medical research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2348-229X
pISSN - 2348-1447
DOI - 10.47799/pimr.0803.11
Subject(s) - empathy , context (archaeology) , psychology , clinical psychology , medicine , social psychology , biology , paleontology
Background: The development of an ideal doctor-patientrelationship requires empathy. Empathetic conversation aidsin the formation of an open and trusting equation betweendoctor and patient. Furthermore, this leads to accuratediagnoses and more compliance to the advised treatment. Inthis manner, empathy helps in overall recovery of the patientand improves global functioning and generalised well-being.This study aims to make note of the fluctuation in empathylevels during medical education. Studies done in variouscountries have found factors such as curriculum, clinicalrotations timing and gender to progressively influencesempathy levels in students throughout their medical training.The recent trend of violence against healthcare professionalsin India calls for an urgent action into the gap between doctorsand patients communication. Empathy towards patients andattendants will reduce such untoward events. In this currentcontext, we should improve empathy levels among the trainingdoctors. As a first step, we should assess various factorsaffecting empathy among health care professionals.Method: This cross sectional study was done amongundergraduates of a rural medical college in NorthernTelangana during the time period of October to December2019. Their empathy levels were assessed using Jefferson’sScale for Empathy- Student version (JSE-S).Result: Of the 470 students surveyed, 227 were males and 243females. Female students were having higher empathy amongfirst year and second years (p<0.001). Empathy levels seem todecline from first year to second year following which the meanempathy remains similar throughout the remaining years instudents of both sexes. There is no significant relation betweenmean empathy scores and choice of future speciality (p>0.05).Conclusion: Female undergraduate students are found to bemore empathetic than their male counterparts. A fall inempathy scores from the first to second year of MBBS is seen,which is when students enter their clinical rotations. Targetedintervention at this time may go a long way in the creation ofa new generation of more empathetic physicians. Hence, thereis a need for evaluation of teaching and learning techniques inmedical education.Further, there is a call for more research into the determinantsof decline in empathy amongst medical professionals.