Changes in Physicians' Intrapersonal Empathy After a Communication Skills Training in Japan

Purpose To investigate whether physicians' intrapersonal empathy increased after a communication skills training (CST) workshop. Method Participants were oncologists from across Japan with three or more years of clinical experience in oncology. They were recruited through the Internet and via direct contact by the workshop organizers. Participants attended 1 of 132 two-day CST workshops, held between November 2007 and March 2011. Prior to the workshop (baseline/T1), participants completed a survey with demographic questions, the Jefferson Scale of Physician Empathy (JSPE), and the Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI). The JSPE was administered again immediately after completion of the workshop (follow-up/T2). Then the JSPE and IRI were administered as part of a three-month follow-up (T3) survey. Changes in participants' mean total JSPE scores, JSPE subscale scores, and IRI subscale scores were compared using multivariate analysis of variance. Results Of the 507 workshop participants who received the three-month follow-up survey, 383 responded (response rate: 75.5%). Total JSPE scores and JSPE subscale scores at T2 and T3 were significantly higher than those at T1 (P < .01). IRI-Perspective Taking and IRI-Empathic Concern subscale scores increased significantly from T1 to T3 (P < .01), whereas IRI-Fantasy and IRI-Personal Distress subscale scores showed no significant changes. The JSPE scores of palliative care physician participants were significantly higher than those of medical oncologist participants at T1 and T3. No significant differences were found by specialty at T2. Conclusions The intrapersonal empathy of oncologists in Japan increased after a two-day CST workshop.