The Empathy in Medical Student of Medical Education Center, Chonburi Hospital

Abstract

Background: Understanding patients' feelings (Empathy) is an important quality in every doctor-patient relationship. There are still few research studies in this area among personnel in government hospitals under the Thai Ministry of Public Health. The research team is interested in studying the understanding of patients' feelings that are related to the factors of interest to reflect problems and promote the development of the Bachelor of Medical curriculum.

Objective: To examine the level of professional skill : empathy by Jefferson Scale of Physician Empathy (JSPE) Thai version for medical students in Chonburi Hospital, and to study differences and relationships between empathy scores and group of factors including sex, grade score, duration of sleep per day, duration of night shift work per month, level of stress, level of burn out and participation to Chonburi Hospital’s ethical activities.

Method: This research was a cross-sectional study that was conducted between October to December 2023. 106 Clerkship medical students (4^th to 6^th year) in Chonburi Hospital were enrolled. Jefferson Scale of Physician Empathy Student Version (JSPE-S) was used to represent the level of empathy. Other factors are collected by using the Stress Test (ST-5) and Burnout Test that were developed by the Department of Mental Health. JSPE scores were calculated and compared with characteristic factors, stress level, and burnout level.

Result: There were 49 responses or 46.22% of the population. The median empathy score of medical students in Chonburi Hospital was 99 (interquartile range 90, 108). Interval 91-95 was the highest frequency from a total score of 140. The analysis compared with factors, there were statistically significant differences in empathy scores in females and 5^th year with P-values 0.025 and 0.033 respectively. In the multiple linear regression model, females and the highest level of stress had an inverse relationship with Jefferson's score by P-value 0.011 and 0.05 respectively.

Conclusion: From the factors that were studied including sex, grade score, duration of sleep per day, duration of night shift work per month, level of stress, level of burn out and participation to Chonburi Hospital’s ethical activities, there were only sex and stress level being inverse associated with empathy level.

Keywords : Empathy, Medical Student, Patient care