Jefferson Scale of Empathy, JSE-HP – Chinese Version

Description

Empathy, also known as emotional understanding or transference, was first proposed by Edward Titchener in 1909. He believed that individuals not only can see the emotions of others but also can feel the emotions of others with their hearts. This phenomenon is known as empathy. Empathy has become a research hotspot for scholars at home and abroad in recent years, and its important role in various fields has been recognized. In the context of healthcare, researchers believe that empathy is the ability to understand the inner experiences and perspectives of patients and communicate that understanding to them. Studies indicate that empathy benefits clinical outcomes for patients and promotes nurse-patient relationships. Some research defines nurses’ empathetic abilities as the capacity to perceive patients’ emotions, recognize and evaluate their emotional states, and take targeted care measures to meet patients’ physical and mental needs, thereby alleviating psychological distress.

Authors and Contact Email

Dr. Mohammadreza Hojat and his research team, information not available.

Purpose

To assess the empathy levels of healthcare professionals and its impact on patient care.

Test Year

2001

Administration Method and Scoring

The Jefferson Scale of Empathy (JSE) – Health Professionals version (JSE-HP) uses a Likert scale where respondents mark their answers directly:
（1=完全不同意 1= Strongly Disagree）
（2=不同意 2= Disagree）
（3=有点不同意 3= Slightly Disagree）
（4=不确定 4= Neutral）
（5=有点同意 5= Slightly Agree）
（6=同意 6= Agree）
（7=完全同意 7= Strongly Agree）

Reliability and Validity

The Cronbach’s α coefficient for the Chinese version of the Jefferson Scale of Empathy (JSE-HP) is 0.750, and the criterion-related validity is 0.652, indicating good reliability and validity.

Factors and Subscales

Information not available.

Keywords

Empathy, healthcare, nurse-patient relationship, Jefferson Scale of Empathy, emotional understanding.

Items in Chinese

（1）在我和病人的关系中，了解病人及家属的情绪状态是一个很重要的因素
（2）对我而言，从病人的角度看事情几乎是不可能的
（3）了解病人及其家属的感受与治疗是无关的
（4）缺乏共情，我将难以成为一名成功的护士
（5）我对病人感同深受，他们就会感觉更好一些
（6）在我和病人的关系中，了解他们的肢体语言和口语沟通同样重要
（7）在观察病情与询问病史时，我试着不注意病人的情绪变化
（8）我会注意病人所显露的肢体语言和非语言线索，以便了解病人在想什么
（9）我不允许自己被病人与其家属间强烈的情感关系所感动
（10）我相信共情是治疗过程中的一项重要因素
（11）为了提供较好的护理服务，我会试着从病患的角度来考虑问题
（12）疾病只能以药物或手术治疗，因此与病人建立感情对于治疗没有明确好处
（13）我对病人感同深受，他们就会觉得治疗是有效的
（14）留意病人的个人经验与治疗效果没有关系
（15）我相信，询问病人日常生活中发生的事情对病情的了解没有帮助
（16）我认为幽默感有助于病人得到较好的临床治疗效果
（17）对我来说，从病人的角度进行思考是一件很难的事情
（18）我不喜欢阅读与医疗无关的文学或艺术方面的书籍
（19）护理病人时我会尝试从病人的立场来思考
（20）我相信情感的投入在疾病治疗中是没有作用的

Items in English

(1) Understanding the emotional states of patients and their families is a very important factor in my relationship with patients.
(2) It is almost impossible for me to see things from the patient’s perspective.
(3) Understanding the feelings of patients and their families is unrelated to the treatment.
(4) Without empathy, I would find it difficult to become a successful nurse.
(5) If I feel empathy for patients, they will feel better.
(6) Understanding patients’ body language and verbal communication is equally important in my relationship with patients.
(7) When observing the condition and asking about the medical history, I try not to pay attention to the patient’s emotional changes.
(8) I pay attention to the body language and nonverbal cues shown by patients in order to understand what they are thinking.
(9) I do not allow myself to be moved by the strong emotional ties between the patient and their family.
(10) I believe empathy is an important factor in the treatment process.
(11) In order to provide better nursing services, I try to consider issues from the patient’s perspective.
(12) Diseases can only be treated with medication or surgery; thus, developing emotional connections with patients has no clear benefit to treatment.
(13) If I feel empathy for patients, they will perceive the treatment as effective.
(14) Paying attention to the patient’s personal experiences has no relationship with treatment outcomes.
(15) I believe that asking patients about their daily lives is not helpful for understanding their condition.
(16) I think that a sense of humor helps patients achieve better clinical treatment outcomes.
(17) For me, thinking from the patient’s perspective is a difficult task.
(18) I do not enjoy reading literature or art that is unrelated to medicine.
(19) When caring for patients, I try to think from the patient’s standpoint.
(20) I believe that emotional investment has no effect on disease treatment.

References

杰弗逊共情量表（The Jefferson Scale of Empathy，JSE）由美国杰弗逊大学医学教育和健康护理研究中心的Mohammadreza Hojat博士及其研究组成员于2001年研制。安秀琴等汉化版的杰弗逊共情量表中文版（The Jefferson Scale of Empathy-Health Professionals，JSE-HP），Cronbach’s α 系数为 0.750，效标关联效度为 0.652，具有较好的信效度。