Clinical empathy among family and community medicine residents and tutors. The view of physicians and patients

Aim: To determine the degree of clinical empathy among family medicine residents and tutors. To gauge whether there is a relationship between physicians' self-perceived empathy levels and their patients' assessments. Study design: Observational, cross-sectional survey. Location: Primary Care Teaching Unit. Madrid. Participants: A survey was sent by email to all the Teaching Unit's family medicine tutors and residents. Responses were received from 50 residents (39.4%) and 41 tutors (45%). In addition, 428 patients were opportunistically recruited at a healthcare centre and their doctors were also interviewed. Primary measurement instruments: Empathy was measured using the Jefferson Scale of Empathy and the Jefferson Scale of Patient Perceptions of Physician Empathy. Results: The tutors scored 2.53 points higher for cognitive empathy than the residents (P=.04). Emotional empathy scores declined among older tutors (r=-0.32; P=.05). The Spanish students(82% of the total) without previous work experience scored higher for overall empathy (P=.02). Final-year residents recorded significantly worse empathy assessments than the other residents. A positive correlation (r=0.72; P=.01) was observed between physicians' self-perceived empathy and their patients' perceptions. Conclusions: Residents with previous work experience, final-year residents and those of Latin American origin score lower for empathy. There is a strong relationship between physicians' self-perceived empathy and their patients' views of their empathy levels. (C) 2018 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Espana, S.L.U.