- An important component of the relationship with my patients is my understanding of the emotional status of the patients and their families.
- I try to understand what is going on in my patients’ minds by paying attention to their nonverbal cues and body language.
- I believe that empathy is an important therapeutic factor in medical treatment.
- Empathy is a therapeutic skill without which my success as a physician would be limited.
- My understanding of my patients’ feelings gives them a sense of validation that is therapeutic in its own right.
- My patients feel better when I understand their feelings.
- I consider understanding my patients’ body language as important as verbal communication in physician-patient relationships.
- I try to imagine myself in my patients’ shoes when providing care to them.
- I have a good sense of humor‚ which I think contributes to a better clinical outcome.
- I try to think like my patients in order to render better care.
- Patients’ illnesses can be cured only by medical treatment; therefore‚ affectional ties to my patients cannot have a significant place in this endeavor. (R)
- Attentiveness to my patients’ personal experiences is irrelevant to treatment effectiveness. (R)
- I try not to pay attention to my patients’ emotions in interviewing and history taking. (R)
- I believe that emotion has no place in the treatment of medical illness. (R)
- I do not allow myself to be touched by intense emotional relationships among my patients and their family members. (R)
- My understanding of how my patients and their families feel is an irrelevant factor in medical treatment. (R)
- I do not enjoy reading nonmedical literature or experiencing the arts. (R)
- I consider asking patients about what is happening in their lives an unimportant factor in understanding their physical complaints. (R)
- It is difficult for me to view things from my patients’ perspectives. (R)
- Because people are different‚ it is almost impossible for me to see things from my patients’ perspectives. (R)
Hojat‚ M.‚ Gonnello‚ J. S.‚ Magione‚ S.‚ Nasca‚ T. J.‚ Velosk‚ J.‚ & Erdman‚ J. B. (2002). Empathy in medicalstudents as related to academic performance. Clinicalcompetence and Gender. Medical Education‚ 36: 522-527.
Shariat‚ S. V.‚ Eshtad‚ E.‚ & Ansari‚ S. (2010). Empathy and its correlated in Iranian physician: A preliminarypsychometric study of the Jeferson Scale of PhysicianEmpathy. Medical Teacher‚ 32:417-421.
Williams‚ Brett.‚ Brown‚ Ted.‚ Boyle‚ Malcolm.‚ and Dousek‚ Simon.‚ (2013). Psychometric testing of the Jefferson Scale of Empathy Health Profession Students’ version with Australian paramedic students. Nursing and Health Sciences‚ 15: 45–50
Hojat‚ Mohammadreza .‚ Mangionea‚ Salvatore.‚ Kanea‚ Gregory C. & Gonnella‚ Joseph S. (2015). Relationships between scores of the Jefferson Scale of Physician Empathy (JSPE) and the Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI). Medical Teacher‚ 27; 625-628.