Empathy levels in physiotherapy students: a four-year longitudinal study

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Allied Health Professions
• Psychology

Background:

• Empathy is a crucial attribute for healthcare professionals, particularly in physiotherapy.
• Developing and maintaining empathy is vital for effective patient care.

Purpose of the Study:

• To longitudinally assess empathy levels among physiotherapy students in a bachelor's program.
• To investigate factors influencing empathy changes during physiotherapy education.

Main Methods:

• A longitudinal study involving 120 physiotherapy students at a Turkish university (2016-2019).
• Utilized the Turkish adaptation of the student version of the Jefferson Scale of Physician Empathy.
• Analyzed empathy scores based on year of study and gender.

Main Results:

• Empathy scores significantly decreased from the first to the fourth year of study (p < .001).
• First-year students exhibited the highest empathy, while fourth-year students showed the lowest.
• No significant difference in empathy scores was observed between male and female students (p = .26).

Conclusions:

• This is the first longitudinal study on empathy in Turkish physiotherapy students.
• The decline in empathy is likely linked to academic curriculum and clinical training.
• Further research is recommended to understand empathy variations, and interventions should focus on enhancing empathy skills for improved patient care.