Empathy in medical education and practice

Abstract

Background: Empathy is a cornerstone of effective medical practice, encompassing cognitive, emotional, moral, and behavioral dimensions. Despite its profound impact on patient outcomes and physician well-being, declines in empathy during medical training remain a concern. This study aimed to assess empathy levels among medical students across different training years and explore factors influencing these levels. Methodology: A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 409 medical and dental students in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. Empathy levels were assessed using the Toronto Empathy Questionnaire, a validated 16-item self-report tool, based on which the participants were categorized as having “below-average empathy” or “good empathy.” Data analysis was performed using the SPSS Version 20.0, with descriptive and analytical statistics examining associations with demographic and academic factors. Results: Of the participants, 50.9% were having below-average empathy. Empathy levels varied across academic years, with 2nd-year students demonstrating the highest proportion of “good empathy” (53.5%), though differences across years were not statistically significant (P = 0.78). Similarly, no significant differences were found between MBBS and BDS students (P = 0.55). Gender was significantly associated with empathy levels, with females exhibiting higher empathy scores (P = 0.001). Specialty preferences did not significantly correlate with empathy levels (P = 0.64). Conclusion: While empathy is critical for healthcare professionals, its variability across genders and the lack of a consistent trend across academic years call for innovative educational strategies. Incorporating empathy-focused training into medical curricula could serve as an effective method for nurturing more compassionate and patient-centered future healthcare providers.

Keywords

• empathy
• gender
• medical students
• years of training