Cognitive, Behavioral and Emotional Empathy in Pharmacy Students: Targeting Programs for Curriculum Modification

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Social Sciences

Background:

• Empathy is a crucial competency for pharmacists, with potential for development in academic settings.
• Existing research on empathy in pharmacy students lacks differentiation across behavioral, cognitive, and emotional components.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze the distinct components of empathy in pharmacy students.
• To correlate empathy levels with psychosocial attributes.
• To inform curriculum adjustments aimed at improving pharmacy student empathy.

Main Methods:

• An anonymous online survey was administered to pharmacy students at Midwestern University.
• The Jefferson Scale of Empathy (Medical Student version) was used, with questions divided into behavioral, cognitive, and emotional domains.
• Demographic and personality trait data were collected, with statistical significance set at P ≤ 0.05.

Main Results:

• A total of 304 pharmacy students participated (37% response rate).
• Overall empathy scores averaged 110.4 ± 0.8; females scored higher than males across all empathy subcomponents.
• Emotional empathy was significantly higher than cognitive and behavioral empathy; negative correlations were found with self-serving behavior, medical authoritarianism, and coercion.

Conclusions:

• Empathy levels in pharmacy students align with previous findings, with females demonstrating higher scores.
• Emotional empathy appears to be a more significant factor than cognitive or behavioral empathy in this cohort.
• Curricular enhancements promoting volunteerism and patient-centered activities could mitigate negative psychosocial factors and bolster empathy.