Empathy, psychometrics, cut-off points in nursing students from Latin America.

BACKGROUND: Currently, there are no cut-off points for levels of empathy, making it difficult to assess the change experienced in its development or as a result of its intervention. It is an unsolved problem. INTRODUCTION: Empathy is a cognitive-affective attribute that enables nursing staff to maintain a professional relationship that entails various benefits for the patient. Its strengthening and development during university education is desirable. Empathy studies in Latin American nursing students are based on the direct scores obtained on an empathy test, based on which the variable is described and groups are compared. Statistical comparisons are not enough to discriminate substantive changes since two statistical values can show differences without implying that the post-intervention levels may correspond to a higher category in relation to those of pre-intervention or that two compared groups are qualitatively different. The above applies to empathic behaviour and is valid for students and professionals of health. This study aimed to establish cut-off points that allow defining ordinal categories in empathy. METHODS: In this multicenter and cross-sectional study, 3712 students from 11 Latin American nursing schools participated. The Jefferson Empathy Scale (JES) was applied; the psychometric properties were confirmed by Factor Analysis Confirmatory and Invariance. RESULTS: The JSE empathy scale is a measure with adequate reliability and construct validity. Examined cut-offs determined a structure of five empathy intervals that allowed them to be classified as empathy values in very high, high, medium, low and very low. DISCUSSION: The sequence of statistical tests carried out allowed us to determine ranges of categorical values in the empathy levels of groups of students. However, the determined categories may constitute a specific characteristic of them. It is not possible to extrapolate these results to regions other than those of Latin America. CONCLUSION: The estimated rankings allow comparing levels of empathy between groups of nursing students and the real effect of empathic interventions. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING: To contribute with strategies to evaluate changes in the empathic skills of nursing students, resulting in a well-valued skill in health services. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING POLICY: The cut-off points define evaluative categories (very low, low, medium, high and very high) that allow objective classification of levels of empathy achieved after (for example) an empathic intervention. This allows assessment of substantive changes experienced by nursing students (and professionals).

Psychometry and empathy levels and its dimensions in postgraduate students of dental specialties.

BACKGROUND: Empathy is an attribute that has an important role in the dentist-patient therapeutic relationship, clinical care and adherence to treatment, amongst other benefits. The aim of this research was to determine empathy in dentists in the process of specialisation. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Through an observational and cross-sectional study, all postgraduate students of Dentistry Faculty of Universidad Andrés Bello (Chile) were analysed (N = 195). The Jefferson Scale of Physician Empathy Scale was applied. RESULTS: The results show an adequate reliability of the empathy measure (α = 0.819, ω = 0.928). A three-factor structure is evidenced by confirmatory factor analysis (χ2 /df = 1.445, GFI = 0.952, RMSEA = 0.047) and adequate factor invariance between men and women. Women showed greater empathy on the global scale and in the perspective adoption dimension, with no gender differences found in the dimension Compassionate care and putting oneself in the other's shoes (POOS). The median empathy reaches 120 points. Below, are placed, the specialty of oral rehabilitation (Med = 114.5), surgery (Med = 117) and periodontics (Med. = 117.5). With superior scores, temporomandibular disorder (Med. = 121), endodontics (Med. = 121), Orthodontics and dentofacial orthopedics Med. = 122), Implantology (Med. = 125) and Pediatric dentistry (Med. = 127.5) are located. CONCLUSION: Women were more empathetic than men. In general, empathy levels are relatively high, but the common feature in which all students examined in different specialties have low levels in dimension POOS.

[Reactivity and evolution of 4022 patch tests in Chilean patients with contact dermatitis]. / Reactividad y evolución de 4.022 tests de parche en dermatitis de contacto realizadas entre 1995 y 2011 en Santiago de Chile.

BACKGROUND: Allergic Contact Dermatitis is a classic delayed hypersensitivity reaction. AIM: To study the reactivity and evolution in Chilean patients by gender, using the standard European patch test. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The results of the European standard patch test applied to 4,022 patients aged 1 to 93 years (64% female) with Allergic Contact Dermatitis, diagnosed between January 1995 and August 2011, were retrospectively analyzed. RESULTS: From a total of 4,022 patients, 2,439 (60.6%) had a positive reaction. Among reactive patients, 1,854 (76.04%) were female and 584 (23.96%) male. The most common positive allergens were nickel (35.3%), cobalt (15.1%), fragrance mix (14%), chromium (8.7%) and balsam of Peru (8.5%). In females, nickel was the most common reactive antigen (34.28%), and in males, fragrance mix (15.7%). During the period 2003-2011, an increased reactivity to nickel (26.6%) and a decreased reactivity to p-phenylenediamine (29.6%) and fragrance (42.8%), was observed. CONCLUSIONS: Fragrance mix is the most common reactive allergen in males and the third for females. Nickel is the leading allergen in the female group and the second of importance for males, making it the most significant allergen for the Chilean population. We also observed that the reactivity of some allergens evolves and varies over time.

Evaluation of the psychometric properties of the family adaptability and cohesion scale (FACES III) through item response theory models in students from Chile and Colombia.

BACKGROUND: A psychometric study of the Family Adaptability and Cohesion Scale (FACES III) has been conducted in Spanish-speaking countries from the perspective of the classical test theory. However, this approach has limitations that affect the psychometric understanding of this scale. OBJECTIVE: Accordingly, this study used the item response theory to investigate the psychometric performance of the items. Furthermore, it evaluated the differential performance of the items for Colombia and Chile. METHOD: For this purpose, 518 health science students from both countries participated. Confirmatory Factor Analysis was used. RESULTS: The study results revealed that the cohesion and adaptability items presented adequate discrimination and difficulty indices. In addition, items 5, 8, 13, 17, and 19 of cohesion indicated differential functioning between students from both countries, with Chilean students exhibiting a greater discriminatory power. Further, the Colombian group exhibited a greater discriminatory power for item 18 of adaptability. CONCLUSIONS: The study concluded that the items of FACES III indicated adequate psychometric performance in terms of their discriminative capacity and difficulty in Chile and Colombia.

Family functioning in students of health sciences in four Latin American countries: a study of the structure and factorial invariance of the FACES III scale. A cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Psychometric studies of the FACES III scale in Spanish-speaking countries show a lack of agreement on the factorial structure of the scale. In addition, most of the studies have only performed exploratory analyses of its factorial structure. OBJECTIVE: The objective of the present study was to confirm the structure and factorial invariance of the FACES III scale in nursing and obstetric students from Chile, Colombia, Peru, and Mexico. METHODS: A total of 3303 students from the four countries participated in this study (Colombia = 1559, Chile = 1224, Peru = 215, Mexico = 305). RESULTS: The results of the study showed that the Bi-factor model presents the best-fit indexes to the data from Colombia, Chile, and Mexico, but not from Peru. In addition, it was found that this model showed evidence of being strictly invariant among the three countries in the sequence of the invariance models proposed: metric invariance (ΔRMSEA = .000), scalar (ΔRMSEA = .008), and strict (ΔRMSEA = .008). The bi-factor model also showed adequate reliability indexes in the three countries. CONCLUSION: It is concluded that the FACES III scale shows adequate psychometric performance under a bi-factor model in nursing and obstetric students from Colombia, Chile, and Mexico. The lack of fit of the model in Peru could be associated with the small sample size.

Psychometric Properties of the Family Adaptability and Cohesion Evaluation Scale III in Latin American University Dental Students.

OBJECTIVE: The Family Adaptability and Cohesion Evaluation Scale III (FACES III) is a self-report instrument that enables the assessment of the dimensions of adaptability and cohesion within a family, establishing whether or not that family is functional and classifying it according to categories within those dimensions. The objective of this research was to determine the psychometric properties of this instrument using a sample of dental students from 5 Latin American countries. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The FACES III was administered to a sample of 2888 university dental students from Colombia (35.3%), Chile (34.6%), the Dominican Republic (19%), Argentina (6%), and El Salvador (5.1%). Confirmatory factor analysis was used to examine the factorial structure of the scale, comparing 3 models proposed in the Latin American literature, establishing a multigroup analysis to examine invariance among countries. RESULTS: The results revealed a structure composed of 2 dimensions: cohesion and adaptability. These dimensions showed adequate structure and internal consistency. The invariance of the measurement model in the participating countries was confirmed. CONCLUSION: In general, this study offers evidence of the adequacy of the psychometric properties of FACES III in Colombian, Chilean, Dominican, Argentine, and Salvadoran dental students.

Working nurses' empathy with patients in public hospitals. / La empatía de los enfermeros con los pacientes en los hospitales públicos.

OBJECTIVE: to determine the levels of empathy in professional nurses of a high-complexity hospital, to relate age to empathy (and each one of its dimensions), and to establish if there are differences between these levels according to the type of working schedules. METHOD: comparative, correlational and cross-sectional design. The sample used (n=271) constituted 40.9% of the total number of nursing professionals. Psychometric properties of the Jefferson Scale of Empathy for Health Professionals were studied. Descriptive statistics were calculated: mean and standard deviation. The association between empathy and age was estimated using regression equations and statistical significance of the regression coefficients, after evaluating the type of curve using variance analysis. RESULTS: the underlying model of three dimensions of empathy was identified. The values of the descriptive statistics observed were relatively low in empathy and its dimensions. Empathy levels were not associated with the age range. No differences in empathy were found between the types of work schedules. Variability was found in the dimensions: "compassionate care" and "Walking on the patient's shoes". CONCLUSION: these results show that the levels of empathy observed may imply a deficient performance in empathetic care for patients. (1) The levels of empathy are low in the nursing professionals studied. (2) These levels are not associated with age and type of work performed. (3) Low levels of empathy could imply a negative alteration of humanized attention.

Family Functioning as an Explanatory Factor of Empathic Behavior in Argentine Medical Students.

Empathy is a relevant competence in the study and practice of medicine whose development could depend on the functioning style of each family. This study aims to compare the distribution of empathy levels, about functionality or dysfunction, and the three styles, which can be derived from family functioning in the families of Argentine medical students. Previously providing evidence of the validity of the family functioning measure. As well as provide evidence of the validity of the measure of family functioning. METHODS: Ex post facto design: 306 Argentine medical students who had already taken the Jefferson Scale of Empathy-Spanish Edition (JSE-S) and the abbreviated Spanish Family Adaptability and Cohesion Evaluation Scale (FACES-20). A gender-weighted linear regression analysis was made, establishing an ANOVA and multiple comparisons via DMS to determine the effect of functional and dysfunctional families' balanced, intermediate and extreme functioning styles concerning empathy. RESULTS: Students who presented dysfunction in familial cohesion and adaptability showed measures of empathy greater than those classified as functional. Differences of cohesion were statistically significant in compassionate care, perspective taking and general empathy. These components were significantly higher in students from families classified as extreme than balanced ones. Students classified within families with either extreme or dysfunctional styles showed greater levels of empathy than more adaptive and functional ones, except in the 'walking in patient's shoes' component where differences were not observed. CONCLUSIONS: Individual resilience as an intervening variable in the presence of empathy is discussed. IMPLICATIONS: The study of empathy, its associated variables, and the conditions of its development remains a central theme in relation to students and professionals of the health sciences. To achieve an effective professional practice, it is necessary to develop human capacities such as empathy and personal resilience.

An Artificial Placenta Experimental System in Sheep: Critical Issues for Successful Transition and Survival up to One Week.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the development of an artificial placenta (AP) system in sheep with learning curve and main bottlenecks to allow survival up to one week. METHODS: A total of 28 fetal sheep were transferred to an AP system at 110-115 days of gestation. The survival goal in the AP system was increased progressively in three consecutive study groups: 1-3 h (n = 8), 4-24 h (n = 10) and 48-168 h (n = 10). Duration of cannulation procedure, technical complications, pH, lactate, extracorporeal circulation (EC) circuit flows, fetal heart rate, and outcomes across experiments were compared. RESULTS: There was a progressive reduction in cannulation complications (75%, 50% and 0%, p = 0.004), improvement in initial pH (7.20 ± 0.06, 7.31 ± 0.04 and 7.33 ± 0.02, p = 0.161), and increment in the rate of experiments reaching survival goal (25%, 70% and 80%, p = 0.045). In the first two groups, cannulation accidents, air bubbles in the extracorporeal circuit, and thrombotic complications were the most common cause of AP system failure. CONCLUSIONS: Achieving a reproducible experimental setting for an AP system is extremely challenging, time- and effort-consuming, and requires a highly multidisciplinary team. As a result of the learning curve, we achieved reproducible transition and survival up to 7 days. Extended survival requires improving instrumentation with custom-designed devices.

Psychometry and Cut-off Points of the Jefferson Scale of Empathy in Medical Students in Central America and the Caribbean.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to determine cut-off points that can be used to differentiate measures of empathy, which would then be classified as high, medium, or low. To do so, we used data from students from 7 medical schools in Colombia, El Salvador, and the Dominican Republic, after determining the psychometric properties of the 3-dimensional model of empathy in the Jefferson Scale of Empathy, S-version (for medical students). MATERIALS AND METHODS: This non-experimental descriptive study had a sample that consisted of 6291 students. The structure and factor invariance were analyzed by country and sex. A hierarchical cluster analysis and a bifactorial analysis of variance were applied. RESULTS: The measure of empathy was reliable on the global scale (α = .82; ω = .88). A confirmatory factor analysis showed that the original model was replicable and adjusted to the data (comparative fit index [CFI] = .90; goodness of fit index = .94), while the multigroup analysis allowed to assume an invariant factor structure by country and gender (ΔCFI < .01). Tables were constructed with cut off points for empathy and its dimensions. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: Our study solves the problem of comparing the scores and the levels of empathy observed in the medical students at different schools of medicine, making said comparisons within and between countries and between genders. The instrument used has adequate psychometric properties and the cut-off values obtained allow the classifying of people with lower or higher levels of empathy.

Psychometric properties of the Jefferson Empathy Scale in four nursing student faculties.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the psychometric properties of the Jefferson Medical Empathy Scale, Spanish version (JSE-S), its factorial structure, reliability, and the presence of invariance between genders in the behavior of empathy levels among Chilean nursing students. METHOD: Instrumental research design. The JSE-S was applied to 1,320 nursing students. A confirmatory factor analysis was used. An invariance study between genders was carried out. Descriptive statistics were estimated. Between genders, Student's T distribution was applied alongside a homoscedasticity analysis. The level of significance was α ≤ 0.05. RESULTS: The confirmatory factor analysis determined the existence of three dimensions in the matrix. The statistical results of the invariance tests were significant, and allowed comparison between genders. Differences were found between mean empathy values, as well as in some of its dimensions between genders. CONCLUSION: The factor structure of empathy data and its dimensions is in correspondence with the underlying three-dimensional model. There are differences in empathy levels and their dimensions between genders, with the exception of the compassionate care dimension, which was distributed similarly. Women were more empathetic than men.

Evaluation of Avian Reovirus S1133 Vaccine Strain in Neonatal Broiler Chickens in Gastrointestinal Integrity and Performance in a Large-Scale Commercial Field Trial.

Avian reovirus (ARV) is the principal cause of several diseases. The vaccination of breeders allows for the control of viral arthritis and delivery of maternal-derived antibodies to the progeny. The vaccination of broiler chickens with ARV strain S1133 is used to prevent viral arthritis. However, the post-vaccination enteric effects have not been well-characterized. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of vaccination with the S1133 strain on the weight gain and feed conversion of broiler chickens and to characterize the gastric, enteric, and pancreatic lesions that the strain could induce. A total of 672,000 chickens were divided into two groups: a group vaccinated with ARV strain S1133 (S1133ARV) and a control group (not vaccinated). Upon histological analysis, the vaccine group showed less proventricular glandular tissue and atrophy of the pancreas and duodenal villi, as well as having a lower average daily profit. The conclusion based on the results of this investigation is that neonatal vaccination with S1133ARV causes atrophy of the pancreatic acini, proventricular glands, and intestinal villi, leading to an increased diameter of the glandular lumen and atrophy of the enteric villous, as well as weight loss, in broiler chickens.

[Prediction of end of lockdown post-peak of cases in first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in Chile]. / Predicción del fin del confinamiento después del máximo de casos en la primera ola de la pandemia COVID-19 en Chile.

INTRODUCTION: The results of mandatory confinement have been detrimental in several respects. Nonetheless, they have resulted in reducing the number of active cases of COVID-19. Chile has begun the de-escalation and needs to know the best time to end the restrictions. OBJECTIVE: We discuss the best conditions and guarantees for the end of compulsory confinement. METHODS: This study is based on a trend model with prediction estimation. The data of the variables of interest were subjected to linear regression studies to determine the curve that best explained the data. The coefficient of determination, the standard deviation of y in x, and the confidence interval of the observed curve were estimated. The trend curve was chosen in accordance with the regression estimates. OUTCOMES: It was found that all dependent variables tended to decrease over time in a quadratic fashion, except for the new cases variable. In general, the R2 and MAPE estimates are satisfactory, except for the variable number of PCR tests per day. CONCLUSIONS: Gradual and cautious steps should be taken before ending mandatory confinement. In the current de-escalator, daily PCR tests should be increased, maintaining vigilance on indicators of incidence, prevalence, and positivity of PCR tests. Evidence suggests with some degree of confidence that mandatory confinement could be safely lifted as of August 30, 2020. Long-term preparations must be made to contain future waves of new cases.

INTRODUCCIÓN: Los resultados del confinamiento obligatorio han sido perjudiciales en varios aspectos. No obstante, han surtido efecto en lograr el descenso de casos activos de COVID-19. Chile ha comenzado la desescalada y precisa conocer el mejor momento para poner fin a las restricciones. OBJETIVOS: Discutir las mejores condiciones y garantías para el fin del confinamiento obligatorio sobre la base de los casos nuevos, casos activos y positividad de exámenes de reacción en cadena de la polimerasa. MÉTODOS: Estudio basado en un modelo de tendencia con estimación de predicciones. Los datos de las variables de interés fueron sometidas a estudios de regresión lineal, con el objeto de determinar la curva que mejor explicaba los datos. Se estimó el coeficiente de determinación, la desviación estándar de y en x y el intervalo de confianza de la curva observada. Posteriormente, fue escogida la curva de tendencia en concordancia con las estimaciones de regresión. RESULTADOS: Se encontró que todas las variables dependientes tendían a disminuir con el tiempo de forma cuadrática, con excepción de la variable casos nuevos. En general, las estimaciones de coeficiente de determinación (R2) y error porcentual absoluto medio son satisfactorias, con excepción de la variable: número de exámenes de reacción en cadena de la polimerasa por día. CONCLUSIONES: Se deben tomar medidas graduales y cautelosas antes de poner fin al confinamiento obligatorio. En la actual desescalada, se deben aumentar los exámenes de reacción en cadena de la polimerasa diarios y mantener vigilancia en los indicadores de incidencia, prevalencia y positividad de dichos exámenes. La evidencia sugiere con cierto grado de confiabilidad que el confinamiento obligatorio podría levantarse de forma segura a contar del día 30 de agosto de 2020. Se deben hacer preparativos a largo plazo en contención de las futuras olas, es decir, una nueva alza de casos nuevos y activos luego del descenso.

Empathic decline and training in nursing students.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this article is to examine whether the levels of empathy fit the concept of empathic decline. METHOD: This was a non-experimental and cross-sectional study. Two populations of nursing students in two nursing programs were studied: Universidad San Sebastián (Santiago, Chile) and Universidad Mayor (Temuco, Chile). The original data on empathy, assessed by the Jefferson Scale of Empathy, were combined into a single data base. They were then analyzed by means of normality tests and homoscedasticity, Cronbach's alpha, analysis of variance; the standard deviation of the dependent outcome measure (Sy.x) and the coefficient of determination (R2) were estimated. RESULTS: The sample sizes from the two programs were 479 and 277, respectively. It was found that the distributions of the averages over the course of study for empathy (and its components) were constant, and in some cases increased. CONCLUSION: It was found that the distribution of the means of empathy in the nursing students analyzed did not conform to the classical empathic decline observed in other studies. Therefore, it is inferred that the traditional factors identified as causes of empathic erosion were not operating in the same way in the studied context.

Which curve provides the best explanation of the growth in confirmed COVID-19 cases in Chile?

OBJECTIVE: to explore the best type of curve or trend model that could explain the epidemiological behavior of the infection by COVID-19 and derive the possible causes that contribute to explain the corresponding model and the health implications that can be inferred. METHOD: data were collected from the COVID-19 reports of the Department of Epidemiology, Ministry of Health, Chile. Curve adjustment studies were developed with the data in four different models: quadratic, exponential, simple exponential smoothing, and double exponential smoothing. The significance level used was α≤0.05. RESULTS: the curve that best fits the evolution of the accumulated confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Chile is the doubly-smoothed exponential curve. CONCLUSION: the number of infected patients will continue to increase. Chile needs to remain vigilant and adjust the strategies around the prevention and control measures. The behavior of the population plays a fundamental role. We suggest not relaxing restrictions and further improving epidemiological surveillance. Emergency preparations are needed and more resource elements need to be added to the current health support. This prediction is provisional and depends on keeping all intervening variables constant. Any alteration will modify the prediction.

[Trends in the incidence of the human immunodeficiency (HIV) virus in Chile, by age and gender 2010-2017]. / Tendencias de la incidencia del virus de la inmunodeficiencia humana (VIH) en Chile, según edad y género 2010-2017.

OBJETIVE: To determine the trends in the incidence of contagion by the HIV in Chile, according to age and gender, for the period 2010-2017. METHODS: Analysis from the database of confirmed HIV positive diagnosis cases. HIV incidence rates were made from HIV-confirmed cases adjusted for year, age, and sex, with population denominators from the INE. A general and specific trend analysis was performed using regression equations. RESULTS: There is a trend to increase in HIV incidence rates in the study period. 36.48% of the reported cases correspond to the male sex between 20-29 years, group with the highest incidence in the period. The estimated regression equations effectively increase more steadily in the male and young population. CONCLUSIONS: There are deficit informative and educational factors in HIV prevention in the Chilean population. Despite the strong progression of new cases, the diagnostic gap of people living with HIV who are unaware of their health remains to be consolidated. Gaps were identified between recommendations, public policies and the Chilean results obtained.

OBJETIVOS: Determinar las tendencias de la incidencia del contagio por VIH en Chile, según edad y género, para el período 2010-2017. MÉTODOS: Análisis desde la base de datos de casos confirmados de diagnóstico de VIH positivos. Las tasas de incidencia de VIH se confeccionaron a partir de los casos confirmados por VIH ajustados por año, edad y sexo, con denominadores poblacionales del INE. Se realizó un análisis de tendencia general y específica mediante ecuaciones de regresión. RESULTADOS: Existe tendencia al aumento en tasas de incidencia del VIH en el periodo de estudio. El 36,48% de los casos reportados corresponde al sexo masculino entre 20 y 29 años, grupo con más alta incidencia en el período. Las ecuaciones de regresión estimadas efectivamente aumentan más sostenidamente en población masculina y joven. CONCLUSIONES: Existen factores informativos y educacionales deficitarios en la prevención del VIH en la población chilena. A pesar de la fuerte progresión de los casos nuevos, aún resta consolidar la brecha diagnóstica de personas que viven con VIH que desconocen su estado de salud. Se identificaron brechas entre recomendaciones, políticas públicas y resultados chilenos obtenidos.

Empathy in medical students of Córdoba, Argentina. / Niveles de empatía en estudiantes de medicina de Córdoba, Argentina.

INTRODUCTION: Physicians' empathy is an advantage for a better patient care and resolution of disease, and is considered a relevant part of professional training. OBJECTIVE: To measure the level of empathy and its components in medical students of the city of Córdoba, Argentina. METHODS: This was an exploratory, cross-sectional study. The Jefferson Scale of Physician Empathy was administered, in its Spanish version for health sciences students (version S), validated in Mexico and Chile, and culturally adapted to Argentina based on experts' opinion. A two-factor analysis of variance (model III) was used to assess mean differences between sexes and school years, and the interaction between these factors. RESULTS: 306/497 students from first through fifth year assessed in November 2016. The sample was stratified by school year and sex. Significant differences were observed in overall empathy and in compassionate care in both factors. These differences increased over the years (higher among fifth year students and lower among first year ones), and women showed higher values than men in terms of empathy and compassionate care. CONCLUSION: Overall empathy, and the compassionate care component specifically, increased from first through fifth year (and were higher among women compared to men), which evidenced the progressive development of the affective component of empathy. The percentage of development of overall empathy and the cognitive components showed little progression.

Introducción. La empatía en médicos es ventajosa para una mejor atención del paciente y resolución de estados patológicos, y se considera relevante en la formación profesional. Objetivo. Medir los niveles de empatía y de sus componentes en estudiantes de Medicina, en Córdoba, Argentina. Métodos. Se realizó un estudio exploratorio, de corte transversal. Se aplicó la escala de empatía médica de Jefferson, versión en español, para estudiantes de Ciencias de la Salud (versión S), validada en México y Chile, y adaptada culturalmente a Argentina por criterio de jueces. Se utilizó un análisis de varianza modelo III bifactorial para evaluar diferencias de las medias entre años académicos, géneros y la interacción entre estos factores. Resultados. Población: 306/497 estudiantes, de 1° a 5° año evaluados en noviembre de 2016. La muestra se estratificó por año académico y por género. Se encontraron diferencias significativas de la empatía en general y en el cuidado compasivo en ambos factores. Estos aumentaron a través de los años (mayor en quinto y menor en primero) y las mujeres tuvieron mayores valores que los hombres en la empatía y en el cuidado con compasión. Conclusión. Los niveles de empatía en general y, particularmente, del componente cuidado compasivo registraron aumento de primero a quinto año (mayor en mujeres que en hombres), lo que evidenció un creciente desarrollo del componente afectivo de la empatía. El porcentaj e de crecimiento de la empatía en general y de los componentes vinculados a sus aspectos cognitivos registró escaso nivel de desarrollo.

Empathy Levels of Dental Faculty and Students: A Survey Study at an Academic Dental Institution in Chile.

A successful health care provider may be described as a clinician capable of establishing a comprehensive diagnosis including identifying related risk factors. However, an equally important quality a clinician should possess is the ability to understand the experiences and feelings of others to allow better communication for better outcomes. It is likely that faculty empathy levels influence students' ability to demonstrate this attribute. The aim of this study was to assess the levels of empathy of dental faculty members relative to dental students at the Universidad San Sebastian in Chile. Using a cross-sectional design of survey-collected data collected with the Jefferson Scale of Empathy, the authors compared the perceptions of the dental faculty involved in teaching fourth- and fifth-year dental students (n=116) to the perceptions of basic and preclinical students (n=346) and clinical students (n=189). The data were collected in 2016-17. The results showed that the mean faculty scores were higher than that of the students in compassionate care (90.1%) and perspective adoption (89.7%); however, for putting oneself in the other's shoes, the faculty had a lower score (57.8%) than the clinical students (58.2%). Future investigations are needed to understand the impact of faculty empathy scores on students and whether pedagogical interventions can increase empathy scores.

Empatía con el paciente en médicos especialistas que trabajan en un Hospital de Cuenca (Ecuador) / Empathy with the Patient in Medical Specialists Working in a Hospital in Cuenca ­ Ecuador / Empatia com o paciente em médicos especialistas que trabalham em um hospital em Cuenca, Equador

ntroducción: la empatía es uno de los componentes de la estructura de la humanización en la atención de los pacientes. Los médicos especialistas deben tener mucha empatía. El objetivo del artículo es des-cribir los índices de empatía en médicos que trabajan en un hospital de alta complejidad y explorar si existen diferencias entre las especialidades estudiadas. Métodos: se accedió a una muestra por conve-niencia de 237 médicos que representa el 53.55 % del total poblacional (n = 443). La empatía se midió con la Escala de Empatía para Profesionales de la Salud (hp), junto con análisis factorial confirmatorio y análisis multigrupo (para examinar la invarianza del modelo entre los sexos) y análisis de confia-bilidad (α de Cronbach, coeficiente de correlación intraclase y ω de McDonald). Resultados: la espe-cialidad de pediatría tuvo los mayores índices de empatía general y en las dimensiones "cuidado con compasión" y "caminando en los zapatos del paciente", no así en la dimensión "toma de perspectiva", donde es semejante a las especialidades de anestesiología, medicina crítica y terapia intensiva, y gine-cología. Conclusión: los valores de la empatía y los valores en las subescalas "cuidado con compasión" y "caminando en los zapatos del paciente" fueron (en valores absolutos, pero no estadísticos) mayores en la especialidad de pediatría. En la subescala "toma de perspectiva", las especialidades de pediatría, anestesiología, cirugía y clínica se observaron puntuaciones prácticamente iguales. Se requieren otros estudios que permita arribar a una explicación que permita entender por qué algunas especialidades tienen valores de empatía mayores que otras

Introduction: Empathy is one of the components of the structure of humanization in patient care. Medical specialists must have high levels of empathy. Objective: The aim of this paper is to describe the levels of empathy in doctors working in a highly complex hospital and to explore whether there are differ-ences between the specialties studied. Methods: A convenience sample of 237 physicians representing 53.55% of the total population (n = 443) was accessed. Empathy was measured using the Empathy Scale for Health Professionals (hp). Confirmatory factor analysis and multigroup analysis were performed to examine the invariance of the model between the sexes and reliability analyzes (Cronbach's α, intraclass correlation coefficient and McDonald's ω). Results: The specialty of pediatrics had the highest levels in general empathy and in the Compassionate Care and Walking in Patient Shoes subscales, but not in the Perspective Taking subescale where it presents levels similar to the specialties of anesthesiology, critical medicine and intensive care. and gynecology. Conclusions: The empathy values and the values in the compassionate care and "Walking in the patient's shoes" subscales were (in absolute values, but not sta-tistically) higher in the Pediatrics specialty. In the subscale Perspective Taking, Pediatrics, Anesthesiology, Surgery, and Clinic, practically the same scores were observed. Other studies are required to arrive at an explanation that allows us to understand why some specialties have higher empathy values than others.

Introdução: a empatia é um dos componentes da estrutura de humanização no atendimento ao paciente. Os médicos especialistas devem ter altos níveis de empatia. Objetivo: o objetivo deste artigo é descre-ver os níveis de empatia em médicos que trabalham em um hospital de alta complexidade e explorar se há diferenças entre as especialidades estudadas. Materiais e métodos: foi acessada uma amostra de conveniência de 237 médicos, representando 53,55% da população total (n = 443). A empatia foi medida usando a Escala de Empatia para Profissionais de Saúde. A análise fatorial confirmatória e a análise mul-tigrupo foram realizadas (para examinar a invariância do modelo entre os sexos) e a análise de confia-bilidade (α de Cronbach, coeficiente de correlação intraclasse e ω de McDonald). Resultados: a pediatria apresentou os níveis mais altos de empatia geral e nas dimensões "cuidado compassivo" e "estar no lugar do paciente", mas não na dimensão "tomada de perspectiva", em que os níveis foram semelhantes aos da anestesiologia, da medicina crítica e da terapia intensiva, e da ginecologia. Conclusões: os valores de empatia e os valores das subescalas "cuidado compassivo" e "estar no lugar do paciente" foram (em valo-res absolutos, mas não estatisticamente) mais altos na especialidade de pediatria. Na subescala "tomada de perspectiva", as especialidades de pediatria, anestesiologia, cirurgia e clínica tiveram pontuações quase iguais. São necessários mais estudos para explicar por que algumas especialidades têm valores de empatia mais altos do que outras

Family functioning in students of health sciences in four Latin American countries: a study of the structure and factorial invariance of the FACES III scale. A cross-sectional study

Abstract Background Psychometric studies of the FACES III scale in Spanish-speaking countries show a lack of agreement on the factorial structure of the scale. In addition, most of the studies have only performed exploratory analyses of its factorial structure. Objective The objective of the present study was to confirm the structure and factorial invariance of the FACES III scale in nursing and obstetric students from Chile, Colombia, Peru, and Mexico. Methods A total of 3303 students from the four countries participated in this study (Colombia = 1559, Chile = 1224, Peru = 215, Mexico = 305). Results The results of the study showed that the Bi-factor model presents the best-fit indexes to the data from Colombia, Chile, and Mexico, but not from Peru. In addition, it was found that this model showed evidence of being strictly invariant among the three countries in the sequence of the invariance models proposed: metric invariance (ΔRMSEA = .000), scalar (ΔRMSEA = .008), and strict (ΔRMSEA = .008). The bi-factor model also showed adequate reliability indexes in the three countries. Conclusion It is concluded that the FACES III scale shows adequate psychometric performance under a bi-factor model in nursing and obstetric students from Colombia, Chile, and Mexico. The lack of fit of the model in Peru could be associated with the small sample size.