Avaliação da empatia clínica dos estudantes de medicina ao longo do curso utilizando a escala brasileira de empatia clínica

Abstract

Introduction: The history of Medicine shows an evolution physician’s role, often moving away from a patient-centered approach. The need to reclaim empathy is acknowledged in the face of modern technology and healthcare systems' challenges, since empathy is essential for understanding human suffering. Cultivating empathy in medical education is crucial, with assessments to ensure quality of education and to train more humanized professionals. The aim of thisstudy was to verify the level of clinical empathy among medical students at UNIFENAS BH using the Brazilian Scale of Clinical Empathy. Methodology: From August to October 2023, a cross-sectional study was conducted atUNIFENAS-BH, involving enrolled students from to twelfth semester of medical course. The sample was recruited through direct and virtual approaches to students, using Google Forms to access the research form, which contained the Informed Consent Form, a sociodemographic questionnaire, and the Brazilian Scale of Clinical Empathy. Results: A total of 392 students participated, with a predominance of females (75.2%) and a mean age of 24.1 years. About half of the students achieved an empathy score of 4 points or higher, with the third year showing significantly higher scores than the 2nd, 4th, 5th, and 6th years. Sociodemographic factors such as female sex, lower maternal education, vocational choice of Medicine, financial support for studies, interest in specialties with directpatient contact, previous undergraduate studies in healthcare, and participation in voluntary projects correlated significantly with higher levels of empathy, while being single and having a family income above 15 minimum wages were significantly associated with lower levels of empathy. This research revealed high levels of empathy among UNIFENAS-BH medical students, especiallyin the third year. Conclusion: Stands out thei need to strengthen humanistic education, promoting empathy throughout the course. Further longitudinal and multicenter studies are recommended to better understand the relationship between empathy, sociodemographic variables, and its development during medical education.