Gerlach, Amanda
(2019)
Measuring Empathy in Dentists and Dental Specialists Using the Jefferson Scale of Physician Empathy – Health Professions Version.
Master's Thesis, University of Pittsburgh.
(Unpublished)
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Abstract
In the health care setting, empathy can be defined as the ability to understand a patient’s experiences and feelings, as well as the ability to communicate this understanding. Empathy has been shown to play an important role in the dentist-patient relationship by improving treatment outcome and increasing patient satisfaction. Recently, a growing concern has developed over a potential decline in empathy among health care providers. PURPOSE: This cross-sectional study was designed to investigate the differences in empathy among dentists of different genders, ages, specialties and professional affiliations. METHODS: Three hundred forty dentists in western Pennsylvania completed the Jefferson Scale of Physician Empathy-Health Professions Version (JSPE – HP version). Independent t-tests and one-way analysis of variance were used to determine significance of associations between empathy and gender, age, specialty and professional affiliation. RESULTS: Empathy scores among female dentists were significantly higher than empathy scores among male dentists (p<0.0066). Empathy scores did not change significantly, however, with increasing age (p<0.9670). Significant differences were also not seen between dentists of “patient- or people-oriented” and “procedure- or technology-oriented” specialties (p<0.6298) or between members of the Dental Society of Western Pennsylvania (DSWP) and the Western Pennsylvania section of the American College of Dentists (ACD) (p<0.4602). CONCLUSIONS: It can be concluded that, in agreement with existing research, female dentists are more empathic than male dentists. There is no relationship between empathy and age, specialtyor membership in a professional association. The need for further research involving larger sample populations and multiple centers, and the need for methods to improve empathy are discussed.
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Details
| Item Type: |
University of Pittsburgh ETD
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| Status: |
Unpublished |
| Creators/Authors: |
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| ETD Committee: |
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| Date: |
10 June 2019 |
| Date Type: |
Publication |
| Defense Date: |
4 June 2019 |
| Approval Date: |
10 June 2019 |
| Submission Date: |
31 May 2019 |
| Access Restriction: |
No restriction; Release the ETD for access worldwide immediately. |
| Number of Pages: |
35 |
| Institution: |
University of Pittsburgh |
| Schools and Programs: |
School of Dental Medicine > Dental Science |
| Degree: |
MDS - Master of Dental Science |
| Thesis Type: |
Master's Thesis |
| Refereed: |
Yes |
| Uncontrolled Keywords: |
Empathy
Dentist
Jefferson Scale of Physician Empathy |
| Date Deposited: |
10 Jun 2019 14:29 |
| Last Modified: |
10 Jun 2019 14:29 |
| URI: |
http://d-scholarship.pitt.edu/id/eprint/36846 |
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