A study of the correlation between residents’ humanistic care skills and their level of emotional intelligence—A cross-sectional survey

Abstract

Background There is variability in the structure of junior doctors’ knowledge of humanistic medicine. The level of residents’ emotional intelligence affects their professional development and the doctor-patient relationship. Currently, there is a paucity of research examining the humanistic competence and emotional intelligence of medical residents, both domestically and internationally.The primary objective of this study was to scrutinize the prevailing status of residents’ humanistic competence and emotional intelligence levels, aiming to assess the correlation between humanistic competence and emotional intelligence. Methods A cross-sectional survey using the Demographic Characteristics Questionnaire, the Humanistic Care Competence Scale, and the Emotional Intelligence Scale was conducted in September 2022 among residents of a tertiary general hospital in Sichuan Province. The relationship between humanistic care competence scores and emotional intelligence scores among residents was analyzed using Pearson correlation analysis and multiple linear regression analysis. Results The mean score of residents’ humanistic care competence was 188.82 ± 20.80, and the mean score of emotional intelligence was 87.08 ± 13.49.The Pearson correlation results demonstrated a significant correlation ( r = 0.400, p = 0.000) between the level of emotional intelligence and humanistic care competence. The results of multiple linear regression analysis indicated that self-emotional appraisal, emotional appraisal of others, emotional control, emotional use, and school community work experience independently predicted humanistic care competence. Conclusion The scores for residents’ humanistic care competence were notably low, influenced by a multitude of factors that also exhibited varying levels of impact on emotional intelligence development. Emotional intelligence was positively associated with humanistic care competence. Emotional intelligence is an important consideration in the development, implementation, and evaluation of humanistic care interventions. Residency programs should provide education and training in humanistic competencies to improve residents’ levels of emotional intelligence and promote the overall health of society. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12909-024-06097-4.