BackgroundEmpathy is a fundamental humanistic component of patient care which facilitates efficient and patient-centered clinical encounters. Despite being the principal recipient of physician empathy little work on how patients perceive/report receiving empathy from their physicians has been undertaken. In the context of doctor-patient interactions, knowledge about empathy has mostly originated from physicians’ perspectives and has been developed from studies using self-assessment instruments. In general, self-assessment may not correlate well with the reality observed by others.ObjectivesTo investigate: 1—the relationship between physicians’ self-assessed empathy and patients’ measures of physicians’ empathy; 2 –Environmental factors that could influence patients’ perceptions; and 3 –the correlation between two widely used psychometric scales to measure empathy from the perspective of patients.MethodsThis is an observational study which enrolled 945 patients and 51 physicians from radiology, clinical, and surgical specialties. The physicians completed the Jefferson Scale of Physician Empathy (JSE) and the International Reactivity Index (IRI), and patients completed the Consultation and Relational Empathy scale (CARE), and the Jefferson Scale of Patient’s Perceptions of Physician Empathy (JSPPPE).ResultsWe did not observe any significant correlation between total self-assessed empathy and patients’ perceptions. We observed a small correlation (r = 0,3, P<0,05) between the sub-dimension Perspective Taking-JSE and JSPPPE. JSPPPE and CARE had a positive and moderate correlation (0,56; p<0,001). Physicians’ gender and sector influenced the JSPPPE score. Sector, medical specialty and the nature of the appointment (initial versus subsequent) influenced the CARE measure.ConclusionsThe lack of correlation between self-assessed empathy levels and patients’ perceptions suggests patients be included in the process of empathy evaluation.Practice implicationsTraining strategies aiming the development of empathy should include patients’ evaluations and perspectives.
ObjectivesThis study investigated the associations between self-assessed empathy levels by physicians in training and empathy levels as perceived by their patients after clinical encounters. The authors also examined whether patient assessments were valid and reliable tools to measure empathy in physicians in training.DesignA multicentric, observational, cross-sectional study.SettingThis study was conducted in three public teaching hospitals in Brazil.ParticipantsFrom the 668 patients invited to participate in this research, 566 (84.7%) agreed. Of these, 238 (42%) were male and 328 (58%) were female. From the invited 112 physicians in training, 86 (76.8%) agreed. Of the 86 physicians in training, 35 (41%) were final-year medical students and 51 (59%) were residents from clinical and surgical specialties. The gender distribution was 39 (45%) males and 47 (51%) females.Primary and secondary outcome measuresPhysicians in training filled the Jefferson Scale of Physician Empathy (JSE) and the Interpersonal Reactivity Index. Patients answered the Jefferson Scale of Patient’s Perceptions of Physician Empathy (JSPPPE) and the Consultation and Relational Empathy Scale (CARE).ResultsThis study found non-significant correlations between patient and physicians-in-training self-assessments, except for a weak correlation (0.241, p<0.01) between the JSPPPE score and the JSE compassionate care subscore. CARE and JSPPPE scales proved to be valid and reliable instruments.ConclusionsPhysicians-in-training self-assessments of empathy differ from patient assessments. Knowledge about empathy derived from self-assessment studies probably does not capture the perspective of the patients, who are key stakeholders in patient-centred care. Future research on the development of physician empathy or on outcomes of educational interventions to foster empathy should include patient perspectives.
Objective: To evaluate the knowledge of health professionals about radiological protection and to implement educational actions to promote a safe working environment for professionals, patients and companions. Method: An exploratory cross-sectional study, applying a questionnaire to 59 participants from different sectors of a teaching hospital. Open-ended questions were analyzed through the discourse of the collective subject and closed-ended questions were analyzed through quantitative analysis. Results: In the opinion of the participants, their professional training did not offer radioprotection class or the training was insufficient for the practice. In addition, the work environment does not provide regulatory norms and training on radioprotection. Most participants do not have solid knowledge and do not present safe behavior in radioprotection. In the internal week for the prevention of work accidents, a lecture and a theatricalisation about the topic of radioprotection were conducted and a booklet was distributed. Conclusion: Radiation protection education is necessary in the curricula of the training courses for health professionals and in the work environment.
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