Empathy for patients among Colombian physical therapy students: A cross-sectional study

Background: To improve intersubjective connection with a patient, empathy is an essential quality. Empathy contributes to a more humane approach to patient care. The objective of this study is to perform an empathic diagnosis on Colombian physical therapy students. Materials and methods: Cross-sectional observational study. The study sample comprises 460 Colombian physical therapy students, obtained through convenience sampling. Empathy was measured using the Empathy Scale for Health Sciences Professionals adapted for students (Version S). The data were subjected to psychometric analysis, invariance, and reliability studies. Additionally, cutoff points were estimated using Livingston's K² coefficient. Results: The estimated cutoff points made it possible to classify each of the studied dimensions of empathy (compassionate care, perspective taking, and “walking in the patient's shoes”) as “average” values. These values indicate deficiencies in the empathic training of physical therapy students since high scores on the empathy and empathy dimensions, in general, are directly related to better patient care. Conclusion: The empathic diagnosis of the participants revealed that all the dimensions of empathy were at average levels, which can be deemed insufficient compared to the need of empathic training for improving healthcare professional–patient relationships.