Pharmacy students' empathy and its determinants: a systematic review

Area of Science:

• Healthcare Education
• Pharmacy Practice
• Medical Social Sciences

Background:

• Empathy is crucial for healthcare professionals to understand patient perspectives and ensure effective treatment.
• Developing empathy is essential for both practicing healthcare professionals and students, including those in pharmacy programs.
• This study investigates factors influencing empathy levels in pharmacy students.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify and assess determinants associated with empathy in pharmacy students.
• To provide insights for improving empathy training in pharmacy education.

Main Methods:

• A systematic review of peer-reviewed original papers focusing on pharmacy students (first to fourth year).
• Searches conducted across three electronic databases.
• Joanna Briggs Institute Critical Appraisal Checklists used for quality assessment to minimize bias.

Main Results:

• Fourteen papers were reviewed, identifying numerous determinants of pharmacy student empathy.
• Key factors identified include gender/sex, educational interventions, year of study, school type, and prior experience.
• Other determinants explored were career preference, intercultural sensitivity, altruism, grit, self-awareness, marital status, and family income.

Conclusions:

• Educational interventions, personal experiences, and demographic factors can positively influence pharmacy students' empathy.
• The heterogeneity of included studies necessitates further research to draw firm conclusions.
• High-quality evidence is required to refine pharmacy educational strategies for optimal empathy development and to address potential biases.