[Assessment of empathy in health science students : a comparative study at the University of Liège].

Abstract

Introduction: Empathy refers to the ability to understand the emotions of others and to show this understanding. It plays a crucial role in the healthcare professions and should be developed during training. The aim of this study was to compare the empathy levels of students from different sections of health sciences enrolled in their final year at the University of Liège.

Materials and methods: Students in their final year of Medicine, Psychology and Physiotherapy at ULiège were asked to complete the Jefferson Scale of Empathy (HPS version), two numerical scales (0-10) relating to empathy (importance and self-assessment, respectively) and some demographic questions.

Results: In total, 292 subjects (103 students in Physiotherapy, 99 in Medicine and 90 in Psychology) took part in the study. Empathy scores were significantly higher for Psychology students (118.7 ± 9.60) than for Medicine (109.9 ± 13.4) and Physiotherapy (109.5 ± 12.6) students. The importance of empathy in the practice of the profession was estimated at 8.96 ± 1.18 and the average level of self-perceived empathy was 7.85 ± 1.12.

Conclusion: This study suggests that Psychology students are more empathetic than Medicine and Physiotherapy students. Students generally consider themselves to be empathetic and believe that this concept is important in professional practice.