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ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Front. Commun.
Sec. Health Communication
Volume 9 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fcomm.2024.1473771

Measuring the empathy levels among pharmacy students: A journey towards enhancing effective communication and understanding in the pharmacist-patient relationship

Provisionally accepted
Alhareth Ahmad Alhareth Ahmad 1Razan I. Nassar Razan I. Nassar 2*Samar Thiab Samar Thiab 2Mohammad Alostath Mohammad Alostath 2Rania Aldarawish Rania Aldarawish 2Sofian M. Ramahi Sofian M. Ramahi 3Anas Abed Anas Abed 1Ahmad A Assiri Ahmad A Assiri 4
  • 1 Al-Ahliyya Amman University, Amman, Amman, Jordan
  • 2 Applied Science Private University, Amman, Jordan
  • 3 Faculty of Medicine, Hashemite University, Zarqa, Zarqa, Jordan
  • 4 Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    Background: Empathy is an essential skill for healthcare professionals, including pharmacists, because it improves person-centered care and treatment outcomes. Measuring the level of empathy among pharmacy students gives an understanding and insight into their readiness for incorporating a person-centered practice in their future work. This study aimed to assess empathy levels among Jordanian pharmacy students and explore the factors influencing these levels. Methods: A cross-sectional study using a web-based survey was conducted among currently enrolled pharmacy students from various academic years at both public and private Jordanian universities. The survey consisted of three sections; demographics, the Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI) to identify pharmacy students' empathy level, and items specifically related to the pharmacist-patient relationship. Statistical analysis was conducted using SPSS software. Multiple linear regression was used to reveal the factors affecting students' empathy. Results: A total of 396 pharmacy students participated in the current study, with a mean age of 21.65 years (SD=2.865), and about three-quarters were female (73.5%). The mean IRI score for the students was 70.89 (SD=12.82), with subscale means as follows: perspective-taking (18.52), fantasy (17.05), empathic concern (20.16), and personal distress (15.16). Students’ age, gender, awareness of the term empathy, and studying empathy at universities were among the factors that sifnificntly affected the students’ empathy scores. Conclusion: The present study reveals moderate empathy levels among Jordanian pharmacy students and sheds light on an understudied aspect within the pharmacy practice in Jordan. Significant demographic and educational factors affected the pharmacy students' empathy levels. Incorporating empathy education in pharmacy curricula can better prepare pharmacy students for person-centered care.

    Keywords: Empathy, IRI, Pharmacy students, Communication, training, Emotional Intelligence, Jordan

    Received: 31 Jul 2024; Accepted: 11 Nov 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Ahmad, Nassar, Thiab, Alostath, Aldarawish, Ramahi, Abed and Assiri. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence: Razan I. Nassar, Applied Science Private University, Amman, Jordan

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.