Jefferson Scale of Empathy – Health Profession Students’ Version (JSPE-HPS)

Health care providers’ understanding of their patients’ feelings and the feelings of their patients’ families do not influence treatment outcomes.

Patients feel better when their health care provider understands their feelings.

It is difficult for a health care provider to view things from patients' perspectives.

Understanding body language is as important as verbal communication in health care provider - patient relationships.

A health care provider's sense of humour contributes to a better clinical outcome.

Because people are different, it is difficult to see things from patients' perspectives.

Attention to patients' emotions is not important in patient interviewing.

Attentiveness to patients' personal experiences does not influence treatment outcomes.

Health care providers should try to stand in their patients' shoes when providing care to them.

Patients value a health care provider's understanding of their feelings, which is therapeutic in its own right.

Patients' illnesses can be cured only by targeted treatment; therefore, health care providers' emotional ties with their patients do not have a significant influence in treatment outcomes.

Asking patients about what is happening in their personal lives is not helpful in understanding their physical complaints.

Health care providers should try to understand what is going on in their patients' minds by paying attention to their non-verbal cues and body language.

I believe that emotion has no place in the treatment of medical illness.

Empathy is a therapeutic skill without which a health care provider's success is limited.

Health care providers' understanding of the emotional status of their patients, as well as that of their families is one important component of the health care provider – patient relationship.

Health care providers should try to think like their patients in order to render better care.

Health care providers should not allow themselves to be influenced by strong personal bonds between their patients and their family members.

I do not enjoy reading non-medical literature or the arts.

I believe that empathy is an important factor in patients' treatment.