References
Exploring empathy levels among Canadian paramedic students
Abstract
Background:
Empathy is an important factor in communication between healthcare provider and patient. Previous studies have shown that empathy benefits patient care in multiple ways. Empathy allows a space of decreased vulnerability and, as a result, builds trust in healthcare relationships. It fosters open communication that leads to improved patient care; improves patient satisfaction; and buffers healthcare provider burnout. This study aimed to determine the empathy levels demonstrated by paramedic students to patients with various medical conditions, and to compare these findings with those of previous studies.
Methods:
This study employed a cross-sectional design of a convenience sample of first and second year paramedic students in a community college programme in Ontario, Canada. The Medical Condition Regard Scale (MCRS) was used to measure empathy levels in these students across five medical conditions: physical disability, intellectual disability, suicide attempt, mental health emergency, and substance abuse.
Results:
A total of 43 students participated in the study; 27 males and 15 females (1 unknown). Males demonstrated a mean empathy score of 232.44 while females demonstrated a mean of 266.4. Across the five medical conditions, substance abuse had the lowest mean empathy score (42.88), followed by mental health emergency (49.58), suicide attempt (49.47), intellectual disability (50.42) and physical disability (53.0).
Conclusion:
Results from this study suggest that paramedic students demonstrated the lowest levels of empathy towards patients suffering from substance abuse issues, and the highest levels of empathy towards patients with a physical disability. Male paramedic students are less empathetic than their female peers, and second year paramedic students are less empathetic than their first year counterparts. These results provide an insight into paramedic student attitudes in Canada, and provide a foundation for further studies.
Empathy helps healthcare providers to create a positive interpersonal relationship that creates a non-defensive environment, and allows the patient to be more forthcoming (Mercer and Reynold, 2002; Hemmerdinger et al, 2007; Neumann et al, 2011; Petrucci et al, 2016). Empathy is an important characteristic in the relationship between a healthcare practitioner and his or her patients. When empathy is present, it can enhance both the patient and the provider's overall experience. There are different understandings of the word empathy and what being empathetic is; the general consensus of the definition states that empathy is the understanding of another person's reactions, thoughts, feelings and problems (Eisenberg, 2000; Myers, 2000; Burks and Kobus, 2012, Petrucci et al, 2016). Empathy involves not only understanding another person, but demonstrating that understanding back to the patient while maintaining emotional detachment (Burks and Kobus, 2012). The ability to communicate this understanding and a paramedic's intention to help is important to create an environment that is empathetic and open (Petrucci et al, 2016).
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