Table 1
JSE S-Version scores
|
JSE S-Version subscales and total score |
Sample N = 257 |
Males N = 114 |
Females N = 143 |
p value (males vs. females) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
M ± SD |
M ± SD |
M ± SD | |||
|
F1. ‘Perspective taking’ |
m.r. † |
5.56 ± 0.66 |
5.50 ± 0.58 |
5.61 ± 0.72 |
0.187 |
|
s.r. ‡ |
55.60 ± 6.65 |
54.97 ± 5.84 |
56.11 ± 7.21 |
0.173 | |
|
F2. ‘Compassionate care’ |
m.r. † |
5.66 ± 0.65 |
5.53 ± 0.63 |
5.75 ± 0.66 |
0.007* |
|
s.r. ‡ |
45.25 ± 5.22 |
44.27 ± 5.03 |
46.03 ± 5.26 |
0.007* | |
|
F3. ‘Standing in the patient’s shoes’ |
m.r. † |
3.92 ± 1.24 |
3.79 ± 1.15 |
4.03 ± 1.30 |
0.123 |
|
s.r. ‡ |
7.85 ± 2.47 |
7.59 ± 2.30 |
8.06 ± 2.59 |
0.126 | |
|
JSE S-Version total score |
m.r.† |
5.44 ± 0.53 |
5.34 ± 0.46 |
5.51 ± 0.57 |
0.010* |
|
s.r. ‡ |
108.71 ± 10.60 |
106.83 ± 9.10 |
110.21 ± 11.47 |
0.011* |
* α set at 0.05; 255 degrees of freedom; † mean ratings; ‡ sums of ratings
Table 2
Parameter estimates from confirmatory factor analysis of the oblique three-factor model
|
JSE S-Version items |
M ± SD |
s |
k |
H |
S & H |
λ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Factor 1. Perspective taking | ||||||
|
Item 16. Physicians’ understanding of the emotional status of their patients, as well as that of their families, is an important component of the physician-patient relationship |
6.12 ± 0.88 |
−0.96 |
0.05 |
0.70 |
0.62 |
0.70 |
|
Item 13. Physicians should try to understand what is going on in their patients’ minds by paying attention to their non-verbal cues and body language |
6.01 ± 1.05 |
−2.50 |
9.15 |
0.62 |
0.51 |
0.74 |
|
Item 20. I believe that empathy is an important therapeutic factor in medical treatment |
5.87 ± 1.11 |
0.27 |
−0.57 |
0.60 |
0.64 |
0.80 |
|
Item 15. Empathy is a therapeutic skill without which the physician’s success is limited |
4.98 ± 1.46 |
−1.30 |
1.71 |
0.58 |
0.64 |
0.59 |
|
Item 10. Patients value a physician’s understanding of their feelings which is therapeutic in its own right |
6.00 ± 1.05 |
−0.39 |
−0.60 |
0.58 |
0.58 |
0.60 |
|
Item 2. Patients feel better when their physicians understand their feelings |
6.30 ± 1.00 |
0.29 |
−0.83 |
0.50 |
0.49 |
0.43 |
|
Item 4. Understanding body language is as important as verbal communication in the physician-patient relationship |
6.07 ± 1.07 |
−2.50 |
9.20 |
0.46 |
0.54 |
0.49 |
|
Item 9. Physicians should try to stand in their patient’s shoes when providing care to them |
5.15 ± 1.49 |
−1.20 |
1.41 |
0.46 |
0.54 |
0.33 |
|
Item 5. A physician’s sense of humour contributes to a better clinical outcome |
4.64 ± 1.59 |
−0.65 |
−0.22 |
0.45 |
0.44 |
0.30 |
|
Item 17. Physicians should try to think like their patients in order to render better care |
4.46 ± 1.58 |
−1.45 |
3.28 |
0.46 |
0.35 |
0.30 |
|
Mean loadings factor 1 |
0.54 |
0.53 |
0.53 | |||
|
Factor 2. Compassionate care | ||||||
|
Item 11. Patients’ illness can be cured only by medical treatment; therefore, physicians’ emotional ties with their patients do not have a significant influence in medical or surgical treatment |
5.88 ± 1.21 |
−1.48 |
2.59 |
0.60 |
0.70 |
0.67 |
|
Item 8. Attentiveness to patients’ personal experience does not influence treatment outcomes |
5.74 ± 1.19 |
−1.42 |
2.71 |
0.59 |
0.28 |
0.49 |
|
Item 7. Attention to patients’ emotions is not important in history taking |
6.46 ± 0.87 |
−1.29 |
1.94 |
0.55 |
0.59 |
0.70 |
|
Item 14. I believe that emotion has no place in the treatment of medical illness |
6.12 ± 1.14 |
−1.64 |
2.87 |
0.50 |
0.69 |
0.71 |
|
Item 18. Physicians should not allow themselves to be influenced by strong personal bonds between their patients and their family members |
3.27 ± 1.44 |
−0.45 |
−0.51 |
0.44 |
0.06 |
0.04* |
|
Item 1. Physicians understanding of their patients’ feelings and the feelings of their patients’ families does not influence medical or surgical treatment |
5.38 ± 1.55 |
−1.26 |
2.89 |
0.43 |
0.36 |
0.33 |
|
Item 19. I do not enjoy reading non-medical literature or experiencing the arts |
6.43 ± 1.12 |
−0.28 |
−0.65 |
0.37 |
0.40 |
0.31 |
|
Item 12. Asking patients about what is happening in their lives is not helpful in understanding their physical complaints |
5.98 ± 1.11 |
0.32 |
−0.45 |
0.37 |
0.53 |
0.64 |
|
Mean loadings factor 2 |
0.48 |
0.43 |
0.49 | |||
|
Factor 3. ‘Standing in the patient’s shoes’ | ||||||
|
Item 3. It is difficult for a physician to view things from patients’ perspectives |
4.07 ± 1.35 |
−2.47 |
6.40 |
0.74 |
0.65 |
0.79 |
|
Item 6. Because people are different, it is difficult to see things from patients’ perspectives |
3.78 ± 1.49 |
−1.07 |
1.08 |
0.66 |
0.55 |
0.69 |
|
Mean loadings factor 3 |
0.70 |
0.60 |
0.74 | |||
Notes All parameter estimates were significant at p < 0.05, except item 18 (*); the items are numbered according to Shariat & Habibi (2012)
s skewness, k kurtosis, H standardized factor loadings from Hojat and colleagues (2002b), S & H standardized factor loadings from Shariat & Habibi (2012), λ standardized factor loadings for the present study
Table 3
Goodness-of-fit indexes for the three alternative confirmatory factor analysis models
|
χ 2 |
df |
CFI |
RMSEA |
WLRM | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
M1 |
1548.53* |
171 |
0.68 |
0.18 |
0.19 |
|
M2 |
1887.89* |
170 |
0.50 |
0.20 |
2.32 |
|
M3 |
581.16* |
167 |
0.91 |
0.08 |
0.99 |
|
Δχ 2 |
Δdf |
p | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
M2 vs M1 |
310.90 |
1 |
<0.01 |
|
M3 vs M1 |
1289.90 |
4 |
<0.01 |
|
M3 vs M2 |
901.01 |
1 |
<0.01 |
M1 one-factor model in which all 20 items were forced to load on a single factor labelled ‘general medical student’s empathy’, M2 orthogonal three-factor model entailing the ‘perspective taking’, ‘compassionate care’ and ‘standing in the patient’s shoes’ factors posited as uncorrelated, M3 oblique three-factor model entailing these last-mentioned factors posited as correlated, χ 2 the Chi square statistic, df degrees of freedom, CFI the comparative fit index, RMSEA the root mean square error of approximation, WLRM: the weighted root mean square residual, * p < 0.01