The Devil is in the Third Year: A Longitudinal Study of Erosion of Empathy in Medical School

Hojat, Mohammadreza; Vergare, Michael J.; Maxwell, Kaye; Brainard, George C.; Herrine, Steven K.; Isenberg, Gerald A.; Veloski, John; Gonnella, Joseph S.

doi:10.1097/acm.0b013e3181b17e55

Cited by 1,322 publications

(1,394 citation statements)

References 36 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

1,088

Contrasting

Unclassified

123

Order By: Relevance

“…Several studies [1–4] have investigated the evolution of empathy scores for medical students throughout their education in medicine, and reported a significant empathy decline from the beginning to the end of their education. This study attempted to show whether incoming medical students were incline to reveal significant differences in empathy levels according to the population of reference.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…However, several researchers and one of our recent research reported a striking and progressive decline of empathy levels among medical students over time of education [1,2]. Several interpretations were proposed: changes from idealism to realism [3]; overusing of technologies [4]; promotion of emotional detachment, affective distance and clinical neutrality [5]. Therefore, psychological or environmental factors and personality influence the decline of empathy among medical students.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

The intergroup empathy bias among incoming medical students

Nasello

Triffaux

2018

Medical Education Online

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Background: Previous studies revealed a significant empathy decline over time among medical students. Scientific literature also supports the influence of group belonging on the empathy expression.Objective: Through this study, we aimed to demonstrate whether group belonging (peers or patients) significantly influences empathy levels before students undertake their education in medicine.Design: A total of 194 incoming medical students participated in our study. All participants filled-in the Interpersonal Reactivity Index under three primed situations (a general; a peers’ one; a patients’ one) at three different points in time during a session of information.Results: Analyses revealed significant main effects of: gender; situations; and empathy dimensions. We also obtained a significant interaction effect between dimensions and situations.Conclusions: We showed that empathy levels were modulated by group belonging (25% of the variance was explained by group belonging). Post hoc analyses showed that the differences between the peers’ and patients’ situations tend to reveal an appropriate professional attitude with regard to patients because they displayed: (1) lower scores on personal distress and fantasy; (2) higher scores on perspective taking (as for peers); (3) stable scores on empathic concern in peers’ and patients’ situations. However, integrating empathy lessons in the educational program of medical students remains a priority. In a long-term perspective, these findings suggest an investigation of the impacts of group belonging on the evolution of students’ empathy scores through their medicine studies.

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The intergroup empathy bias among incoming medical students

Nasello

Triffaux

2018

Medical Education Online

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…The negative view of empathy in medicine Many have noted and discussed the difficulty of current medical students and professionals to empathize with patients (Eikeland et al 2014;Hojat et al 2004Hojat et al , 2009Suchman et al 1997;Tavakol et al 2012;Ward et al 2012). Studies have made use of multiple tools to measure this decline in empathy, including the Jefferson Scale of Physician Empathy (henceforth JSPE), the Interpersonal Reactivity Index, and questionnaires (Hojat et al 2004(Hojat et al , pp.…”

Section: A Problematic Lack Of Empathymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…After a long hiatus, the topic of empathy is now being revisited as something that is essential to good medical practice. According to a few recent studies, the physician's ability to empathize with patients is weakened during medical training, and this weakened ability can lead to a serious deficiency in patient care (Hojat et al 2004(Hojat et al , 2009Eikeland et al 2014;Suchman et al 1997;Tavakol et al 2012;Ward et al 2012). In order to improve patient care, these studies also argue that empathy is a skill that should be fostered in a student's initial medical training.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Empathizing with patients: the role of interaction and narratives in providing better patient care

Hardy

2016

Med Health Care and Philos

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Recent studies have revealed a drop in the ability of physicians to empathize with their patients. It is argued that empathy training needs to be provided to both medical students and physicians in order to improve patient care. While it may be true that empathy would lead to better patient care, it is important that the right theory of empathy is being encouraged. This paper examines and critiques the prominent explanation of empathy being used in medicine. Focusing on the component of empathy that allows us to understand others, it is argued that this understanding is accomplished through a simulation. However, simulation theory is not the best explanation of empathy for medicine, since it involves a limited perspective in which to understand the patient. In response to the limitations and objections to simulation theory, interaction theory is presented as a promising alternative. This theory explains the physicians understanding of patients from diverse backgrounds as an ability to learn and apply narratives. By explaining how we understand others, without limiting our ability to understand various others, interaction theory is more likely than simulation theory to provide better patient care, and therefore is a better theory of empathy for the medical field.

show abstract

“…However, a particular understanding within medical ethics literature, Bdefined empathy in the context of medical education and patient care as a predominantly cognitive (as opposed to affective or emotional) attribute that involves an understanding (as opposed to feeling) of patients' experiences, concerns, and perspectives combined with a capacity to communicate this understanding^ (Hojat 2009). Such an explication of empathy is helpful in the sense that it allows for recognition of the fact that being emotionally tied to one's patient can also cripple a physician's ability to do her job.…”

Section: The Formation Of Doctorsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Can Doctors Maintain Good Character? An Examination of Physician Lives

Fatima

2016

J Med Humanit

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Can doctors maintain good character? This paper shifts the focus from patient care to ethical considerations that bear on the physician and impact her as a person. By decentering patient care, the paper highlights certain factors that habituate a particular way of reasoning that is not conducive to inculcating good character. Such factors include, standards of professionalism, being influenced by external monitors, and emphasis on adherence to guidelines. While such factors may benefit patients, they often adversely affect the character of physicians.Keywords Character . Physician . Professionalism . Virtue . Empathy . Compassion Dr. Philips' day at the clinic was finally ending. She had seen twenty-five patients in a span of eight hours, and just as she was ready to go home, her pager buzzed. Her forty-week-pregnant patient was just admitted in active labor, only four cm dilated. As she changed into her green scrubs, she could not help but think about missing yet another family dinner and possibly staying on-call overnight. Natural labor can take up to sixteen hours to deliver a baby. However, if the labor is augmented with medication or with early breaking of the amniotic fluid, it can progress faster. Her patient was full term and could potentially benefit from a timely delivery, but an induced labor could also increase the patient's chances of a Caesarian birth. Dr. Phillips decides to proceed with induced labor. The next morning, Dr. Phillips is admiring the picture of herself with the baby and the mother. Of course she missed seeing her kids for dinner, but she was able to rest before her morning shift, and the new mother and baby were doing well. This paper examines the myriad reasons that a doctor invariably takes into consideration while making medical decisions within everyday settings and the way that such reasoning impacts character. By 'everyday setting,' I refer to the real life circumstances that physicians in the United States operate in, where established standards of care aim at achieving optimum

show abstract

The Devil is in the Third Year: A Longitudinal Study of Erosion of Empathy in Medical School

Cited by 1,322 publications

References 36 publications

The intergroup empathy bias among incoming medical students

The intergroup empathy bias among incoming medical students

Empathizing with patients: the role of interaction and narratives in providing better patient care

Can Doctors Maintain Good Character? An Examination of Physician Lives

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About