응급의학과 전문의의 공감 능력과 삶의 질

Abstract

Purpose: Empathy in medical practice is related to medical communication and clinical competence. In previous stud ies, low quality of life and other factors play an integral role in low empathy among physicians. We evaluated the rela tionships between empathy, quality of life, and other factors among Korean emergency physicians. Methods: The survey was conducted using email to emer gency physicians. The respondents completed a question naire including demographic information, the Jefferson Scale of Empathy, and the Brief version of the World Health Organization Quality of Life assessment instrument. Correlation analyses were performed, along with sub-analy ses according to gender. Results: A total of 180 questionnaires were analyzed. The median value of the empathy scale was 89.0, and quality of life 64.8. Empathy was positively correlated with quality of life, age, and work experience as a specialist in total sam ples and males. Only work experience as a specialist showed correlation with empathy in females. Quality of life showed no association with age, work experience, and work load. However, quality of life showed negative correla tion with age and work experience in female physicians. Conclusion: The more experienced specialist emergency physicians are, and the better quality of life they have, the higher level of empathy scale they have. Therefore, good quality of life could lead to good empathy, and vice versa. Good quality of life and good empathy could lead to the bet ter outcome in emergency care. However, because the female physicians show different patterns of empathy and quality of life, further study is needed