J Clin Med Res

Journal of Clinical Medicine Research, ISSN 1918-3003 print, 1918-3011 online, Open Access

Article copyright, the authors; Journal compilation copyright, J Clin Med Res and Elmer Press Inc

Journal website http://www.jocmr.org

Original Article

Volume 11, Number 7, July 2019, pages 532-538

Association Between Empathy and Burnout Among Emergency Medicine Physicians

**Table 1.** Study Participant General Characteristics
	PGY-1 residents	PGY-2 residents	PGY-3 residents	Junior attending physicians	Senior attending physicians
PGY: post-graduate year.
Number	12	12	11	14	19
Age, years, n (%)
≤ 29	9 (75)	5 (42)	2 (18)	1 (7)
30 - 39	3 (25)	6 (50)	9 (82)	13 (93)	6 (32)
40 - 49		1 (8)			8 (42)
≥ 50					5 (26)
Gender, n (%)
Male	9 (75)	9 (75)	7 (64)	9 (64)	14 (74)
Female	3 (25)	3 (25)	4 (36)	5 (36)	5 (26)
Race, n (%)
Caucasian	9 (75)	11 (92)	9 (82)	8 (57)	16 (84)
African American	0	0	0	2 (14)	0
Asian	3 (25)	1 (8)	2 (18)	4 (29)	2 (11)
Hispanic	0	0	0	0	1 (5)

Table 1. Study Participant General Characteristics

PGY-1 residents

PGY-2 residents

PGY-3 residents

Junior attending physicians

Senior attending physicians

PGY: post-graduate year.

Number

Age, years, n (%)

≤ 29

9 (75)

5 (42)

2 (18)

1 (7)

30 - 39

3 (25)

6 (50)

9 (82)

13 (93)

6 (32)

40 - 49

1 (8)

8 (42)

≥ 50

5 (26)

Gender, n (%)

Male

9 (75)

7 (64)

9 (64)

14 (74)

Female

3 (25)

4 (36)

5 (36)

5 (26)

Race, n (%)

Caucasian

9 (75)

11 (92)

9 (82)

8 (57)

16 (84)

African American

2 (14)

Asian

3 (25)

1 (8)

2 (18)

4 (29)

2 (11)

Hispanic

1 (5)

**Table 2.** Descriptive Analysis of the JSE and CBI Scores
	JSE	CBI (personal-related)	CBI (work-related)	CBI (patient-related)	CBI (overall)
JSE: Jefferson scale of empathy; CBI: Copenhagen burnout inventory; SD: standard deviation; IQR: interquartile range.
Mean (SD)	109 (14)	45 (17)	43 (19)	33 (19)	41 (17)
Median (IQR)	112 (102 -118)	46 (33 - 54)	43 (29 - 54)	33 (21 - 50)	43 (25 - 53)
Possible range	20 - 140	0 - 100	0 - 100	0 - 100	0 - 100
Actual range	74 - 133	0 - 100	7.14 - 100	0 - 100	2.63 - 100
Skewness	-0.50	0.26	0.40	0.55	0.44
Kurtosis	2.77	3.54	3.07	3.71	3.78
Cronbach’s α	0.86	0.89	0.88	0.90	0.91

Table 2. Descriptive Analysis of the JSE and CBI Scores

JSE

CBI (personal-related)

CBI (work-related)

CBI (patient-related)

CBI (overall)

JSE: Jefferson scale of empathy; CBI: Copenhagen burnout inventory; SD: standard deviation; IQR: interquartile range.

Mean (SD)

109 (14)

45 (17)

43 (19)

33 (19)

41 (17)

Median (IQR)

112 (102 -118)

46 (33 - 54)

43 (29 - 54)

33 (21 - 50)

43 (25 - 53)

Possible range

20 - 140

0 - 100

Actual range

74 - 133

0 - 100

7.14 - 100

0 - 100

2.63 - 100

Skewness

-0.50

0.26

0.40

0.55

0.44

Kurtosis

2.77

3.54

3.07

3.71

3.78

Cronbach’s α

0.86

0.89

0.88

0.90

0.91

**Table 3.** A Comparison of Empathy and Burnout Score Among Different Provider Groups
	Empathy	Personal-related burnout	Work-related burnout	Patient-related burnout	Overall burnout
PGY: post-graduate year.
PGY-1 residents	113 (105 - 117)	50 (44 - 54)	48 (38 - 55)	29 (23 - 42)	43 (33 - 50)
PGY-2 residents	112 (90 - 115)	48 (31 - 63)	52 (34 - 61)	38 (21 - 54)	51 (29 - 56)
PGY-3 residents	106 (93 - 118)	50 (46 - 58)	43 (39 - 57)	38 (38 - 54)	43 (42 - 53)
Junior attending	112 (105 - 116)	42 (33 - 58)	39 (32 - 50)	25 (21 - 33)	33 (24 - 47)
Senior attending	114 (101 - 125)	38 (29 - 50)	29 (21 - 54)	25 (13 - 50)	25 (22 - 53)
Empathy scores
Low-score	90 (81 - 92)	38 (29 - 50)	43 (32 - 50)	33 (8 - 54)	43 (25 - 50)
Medium-score	112 (106 - 116)	50 (38 - 58)	43 (36 - 57)	35 (21 - 50)	43 (32 - 54)
High-score	125 (123 - 127)	38 (29 - 50)	25 (16 - 55)	23 (19 - 58)	24 (23 - 55)
Extremely high-score	131 (131 - 133)	21 (17 - 79)	21 (14 - 79)	8 (8 - 42)	17 (13 - 67)
Male	110 (93 - 118)	46 (33 - 54)	43 (29 - 54)	33 (21 - 50)	43 (25 - 53)
Female	112 (106 - 117)	46 (29 - 58)	36 (29 - 57)	27 (15 - 46)	41 (24 - 53)

Table 3. A Comparison of Empathy and Burnout Score Among Different Provider Groups

Empathy

Personal-related burnout

Work-related burnout

Patient-related burnout

Overall burnout

PGY: post-graduate year.

PGY-1 residents

113 (105 - 117)

50 (44 - 54)

48 (38 - 55)

29 (23 - 42)

43 (33 - 50)

PGY-2 residents

112 (90 - 115)

48 (31 - 63)

52 (34 - 61)

38 (21 - 54)

51 (29 - 56)

PGY-3 residents

106 (93 - 118)

50 (46 - 58)

43 (39 - 57)

38 (38 - 54)

43 (42 - 53)

Junior attending

112 (105 - 116)

42 (33 - 58)

39 (32 - 50)

25 (21 - 33)

33 (24 - 47)

Senior attending

114 (101 - 125)

38 (29 - 50)

29 (21 - 54)

25 (13 - 50)

25 (22 - 53)

Empathy scores

Low-score

90 (81 - 92)

38 (29 - 50)

43 (32 - 50)

33 (8 - 54)

43 (25 - 50)

Medium-score

112 (106 - 116)

50 (38 - 58)

43 (36 - 57)

35 (21 - 50)

43 (32 - 54)

High-score

125 (123 - 127)

38 (29 - 50)

25 (16 - 55)

23 (19 - 58)

24 (23 - 55)

Extremely high-score

131 (131 - 133)

21 (17 - 79)

21 (14 - 79)

8 (8 - 42)

17 (13 - 67)

Male

110 (93 - 118)

46 (33 - 54)

43 (29 - 54)

33 (21 - 50)

43 (25 - 53)

Female

112 (106 - 117)

46 (29 - 58)

36 (29 - 57)

27 (15 - 46)

41 (24 - 53)

**Table 4.** Relationship Between Empathy and Burnout Among ED Providers
	Overall burnout	Personal-related burnout	Work-related burnout	Patient-related burnout
ED: emergency department.
Overall empathy	r = -0.03 β= -0.02	r = 0.04 β = 0.26	r = -0.05 β = -0.05	r = -0.11 β = -0.23
Perspective taking	r = -0.02 β= 0.00	r = 0.05 β = 0.25	r = -0.05 β = -0.22	r = -0.03 β = -0.02
Compassionate care	r = -0.01 β= -0.02	r = 0.03 β = 0.20	r = -0.03 β = -0.08	r = -0.10 β = -0.31
Standing in the patients’ shoes	r = -0.08 β = -0.07	r = -0.05 β = 0.13	r = -0.08 β = -0.09	r = -0.15 β = -0.30

Table 4. Relationship Between Empathy and Burnout Among ED Providers

Overall burnout

Personal-related burnout

Work-related burnout

Patient-related burnout

ED: emergency department.

Overall empathy

r = -0.03
β= -0.02

r = 0.04
β = 0.26

r = -0.05
β = -0.05

r = -0.11
β = -0.23

Perspective taking

r = -0.02
β= 0.00

r = 0.05
β = 0.25

r = -0.05
β = -0.22

r = -0.03
β = -0.02

Compassionate care

r = -0.01
β= -0.02

r = 0.03
β = 0.20

r = -0.03
β = -0.08

r = -0.10
β = -0.31

Standing in the patients’ shoes

r = -0.08
β = -0.07

r = -0.05
β = 0.13

r = -0.08
β = -0.09

r = -0.15
β = -0.30