Assessment of Korean Pharmacy Students' Empathy Using the Jefferson Scale of Empathy

Abstract

Objective. To validate the Korean-translated Jefferson Scale of Empathy-Health Professions Student version (JSE-HPS) and to investigate the empathy levels of pharmacy students in South Korea. Methods. The JSE-HPS and the Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI) were administered to 452 pharmacy students in their second and third years at 5 Korean universities. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), correlations, and one-way ANOVAs were conducted for data analyses. Results. The final sample size comprised 447 responses. The 3-factor model of the JSE-HPS was confirmed by CFA and the convergent validity was also supported by its correlations with the IRI subscales. The overall mean score was 80.3. Pharmacy students enrolled in women's or private universities reported significantly higher levels of overall empathy than their counterparts in co-ed or national universities. Conclusion. Our findings empirically support the psychometric soundness of the Korean JSE-HPS for pharmacy students.