The influence of clinical training level on the empathy levels of undergraduate and postgraduate dental students

Yıl 2021, Cilt: 38 Sayı: 1, 1 - 7, 01.01.2021

Burcu Baloş Tuncer , Nehir Canıgür Bavbek , Başak Arslan Avan , Bülent Çelik , Cumhur Tuncer

https://doi.org/10.17214/gaziaot.669976

Cited By: 4

Öz

Objective: To evaluate the effect of clinical training on the empathy levels of undergraduate and postgraduate dental students.
Materials and Method: Two hundred and seventy-six students (undergraduates from third, fourth and fifth-grade, and postgraduates from different departments) completed the student version of the Jefferson Scale of Physician Empathy questionnaire. Total and three subscale (perspective taking, compassionate care, ability to stand in patients’ shoes) scores were evaluated. The reliability of the scale was assessed by Cronbach’s alpha coefficient (0.77). Independent samples t-test and one-way ANOVA were used for statistical analysis (p<0.05). 
Results: The fourth-grade students had the highest mean total empathy score (106.0±13.1) and a statistically significant difference was observed between this group and postgraduate students (98.6±14.2). The mean “compassionate care” subscale score revealed a significant decline for postgraduate students (36.2±7.6) when compared to fourth-grade students (39.9±6.6). The total empathy mean score and “compassionate care” subscale mean score were higher for females (104.2±13.6, 39.6±7.1, respectively) than males (99.7±1, 37.1±7.8, respectively). Regardless of degree of dental education, participants with a sibling had higher mean scores for “standing in patient’s shoes” subscale (p<0.05).
Conclusion: The empathy levels of postgraduate students declined with continuing education and this may be due to increased clinical responsibilities and professional attitudes.

Anahtar Kelimeler

Continuing education, dental education, empathy, graduate dental education

Klinik eğitim düzeyinin lisans ve lisansüstü diş hekimliği öğrencilerinin empati seviyeleri üzerine etkisi

Öz

Amaç: Bu çalışmanın amacı klinik eğitim düzeyinin lisans ve lisansüstü diş hekimliği öğrencilerinin empati düzeyleri üzerindeki etkisini değerlendirmektir.
Gereç ve Yöntem: İki yüz yetmiş altı öğrenci (üçüncü, dördüncü ve beşinci sınıf öğrencileri ve farklı bölümlerden doktora öğrencileri) Jefferson Hekim Empati Ölçeği anketinin öğrenci versiyonunu yanıtladı. Toplam skor ve üç alt grup (hastanın bakış açısını yakalama, sağlık hizmeti verirken duyarlı olma, hastanın yerine kendini koyma) skoru değerlendirildi. Ölçeğin güvenilirliği Cronbach alfa katsayısı (0.77) ile değerlendirildi. İstatistiksel analiz için bağımsız örneklem t-testi ve tek yönlü varyans analizi (ANOVA) kullanıldı (p <0.05). 
Bulgular: Dördüncü sınıf öğrencileri en yüksek toplam empati skoruna (106.0 ± 13.1) sahipti ve bu grup ile lisansüstü öğrencileri (98.6 ± 14.2) arasında istatistiksel olarak anlamlı bir fark gözlendi. “Sağlık hizmeti verirken duyarlı olma” alt grup skoru ortalaması, lisansüstü öğrenciler için (36.2 ± 7.6), dördüncü sınıf öğrencilerine (39.9 ± 6.6) kıyasla önemli bir düşüş gösterdi. Kadınların toplam empati ortalama skoru ve “sağlık hizmeti verirken duyarlı olma” alt grup ortalama skoru (sırasıyla 104.2 ± 13.6, 39.6 ± 7.1), erkeklerden (sırasıyla 99.7 ± 1, 37.1 ± 7.8) daha yüksek bulundu. Kardeş sahibi olan katılımcılarda, diş hekimliği eğitiminin derecesinden bağımsız olarak, “hastanın yerine kendini koyma” alt grup ortalama skorunda anlamlı artış gözlendi (p<0.05).
Sonuç: Lisansüstü öğrencilerinin empati düzeyleri devam eden klinik eğitimle birlikte azalma göstermiştir ve bu durum artan klinik sorumluluklar ve profesyonel tutumla ilişkilendirilebilir.

Anahtar Kelimeler

Diş hekimliği eğitimi, empati, lisans diş hekimliği eğitimi, sürekli eğitim

Kaynakça

• Bauchat JR, Seropian M, Jeffries PR. Communication and empathy in the patient-centered care model-Why simulation-based training is not optional. Clin Simul Nurs 2016;12:356-9.
• Hojat M, Gonnella JS, Nasca TJ, Mangione S, Vergare M, Magee M. Physician empathy: definition, components, measurement, and relationship to gender and specialty. Am J Psychiatry 2002;159:1563-9.
• Sherman JJ, Cramer A. Measurement of changes in empathy during dental school. J Dent Educ 2005;69:338-45.
• Diaz-Narváez VP, Coronado AME, Bilbao JL, González F, Padilla M, Howard M, et al. Empathy levels of dental students of Central America and the Caribbean. Health 2015;7:1678-86.
• Waldrop D, Nochajski T, Davis EL, Fabiano J, Goldberg L. Empathy in Dentistry: How attitudes and interaction with older adults make a difference. Gerontol Geriatr Educ 2016;37:359-80.
• Gonzalez-Martinez F, Tirado-Amador L, Bueno-Hernandez J, Chica-Duque B, Díaz-Narváez VP. Changes in empathy levels on dentistry’s students of public University in Cartagena City, Colombia. Pesq Bras Odontoped Clin Integr 2018;18:e3989.
• Ameh PO, Uti OG, Daramola OO. Empathy among dental students in a Nigerian institution. Eur J Dent Educ 2019;23:135-42.
• Aggarwal VP, Garg R, Goyal N, Kaur P, Singhal S, Singla N, et al. Exploring the missing link-Empathy among dental students: An institutional cross-sectional survey. Dent Res J (Isfahan) 2016;13:419-23.
• Kalyan VS, Manjula S, Padma TM, Pratap KV, Vineela P, Varma SC. Assessment of empathy among clinical dental students in a teaching dental institution in Telangana State, India. J Indian Assoc Public Health Dent 2017;15:162-5.
• Gonullu I, Oztuna D. A Turkish adaptation of the Student Version of the Jefferson Scale of Physician Empathy. Marmara Med J 2012;25:87-92.
• Bilgel N, Ozcakir A. Turkish version of the Jefferson Scale of Empathy psychometric properties. Eur Sci J 2017;13:101-11.
• Hojat M, LaNoue M. Exploration and confirmation of the latent variable structure of the Jefferson scale of empathy. Int J Med Educ 2014;5:73–81.
• Schwartz B, Bohay R. Can patients help teach professionalism and empathy to dental students? Adding patient videos to a lecture course. J Dent Educ 2012;76:174-84.
• Hojat M, Vergare MJ, Maxwell K, Brainard G, Herrine SK, Isenberg GA, et al. The devil is in the third year: a longitudinal study of erosion of empathy in medical school. Acad Med 2009;84:1182-91.
• Stephenson A, Higgs R, Sugarman J. Teaching professional development in medical schools. Lancet 2001;357:867-70.
• Kim SS, Kaplowitz S, Johnston MV. The effects of physician empathy on patient satisfaction and compliance. Eval Health Prof 2004;27:237-51.
• Sinha PK, Nanda RS, McNeil DW. Perceived orthodontist behaviours that predict patient-satisfaction, orthodontist-patient relationship, and patient adherence in orthodontic treatment. Am J Orthod Dentofac Orthop 1996;110:370-7.
• Carvajal M, López S, Sarabia-Alvarez P, Fontealba J, Padilla M, Sumi J, et al. Empathy Levels of Dental Faculty and Students: A Survey Study at an Academic Dental Institution in Chile. J Dent Educ 2019;83:1134-41.
• Chen D, Lew R, Hershman W, Orlander J. A cross-sectional measurement of medical student empathy. J Gen Intern Med 2007;22:1434-8.
• Galán JM, Romero R, Morillo MS, Alarcόn M. Descent of empathy in nursing students and analysis of possible factors involved. Psicologia Educativa 2014;20:53-60.
• Hojat M, Mangione S, Nasca TJ, Rattner S, Erdmann JB, Gonnella JS, et al. An empirical study of decline in empathy in medical school. Med Educ 2004;38:934-41.
• Kay J. Traumatic deidealization and future of medicine. JAMA 1990;263:572-3.
• Yarascavitch C, Regehr G, Hodges B, Haas DA. Changes in dental student empathy during training. J Dent Educ 2009;73:509-517.
• Adair JG. The hawthorne effect: a reconsideration of the methodological artifact. J Appl Psychol 1984;69:334-45.
• Mangione S, Kane GC, Caruso JW, Gonnella JS, Nasca TJ, Hojat M. Assessment of empathy in different years of internal medicine training. Med Teach 2002;24:370-3.
• Bellini LM, Shea JA. Mood change and empathy decline persist during three years of internal medicine training. Acad Med 2005;80:164-7.
• Wright SM, Kern DE, Kolodner K, Howard DM, Brancati FL. Attributes of excellent attending-physician role models. N Engl J Med 1998;339:1986-93.
• Haslam N, Loughnan S. Dehumanization and infrahumanization. Annu Rev Psychol 2014;65:399-423.
• Vera C. Empathetic orientation in dentistry students from Latin America. Literature review. J Oral Res 2014;3:123-7.
• Mercadillo RE, Diaz JL, Pasaye EH, Barrios FA. Perception of suffering and compassion experience: brain gender disparities. Brain Cogn2011;76:5-14.
• Diaz-Narváez VP, Coronado AME, Bilbao JL, González F, Padilla M, Howard M, et al. Empathy gender in dental students in Latin America: an exploratory and cross-sectional study. Health 2015;7:1527-35.
• Michalska KJ, Kinzler KD, Decety J. Age-related sex differences in explicit measures of empathy do not predict brain responses across childhood and adolescence. Dev Cogn Neurosci 2013;3:22-32.
• Walęcka-Matyja K. Relationships with siblings as a predictor of empathy and humor styles in early adulthood. Arch Psychiatry Psychother 2017;19:43-51.