title: [Medical empathy of physicians-in-training who are enrolled in professional training programs. A comparative intercultural study in Spain].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To characterise some of the environmental factors that are sensitive to cultural influence, and are involved in the development of medical empathy in Spanish and Latin American physicians-in-training.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional study using questionnaires.
  
  
  METHODS
  Primary care and specialized medicine centres of the Healthcare System of La Rioja, Logroño, Spain.
  
  
  METHODS
  Physicians-in-training MAIN MEASUREMENTS: : Empathy was measured using the Jefferson Scale of Physician Empathy, version for healthcare professionals (JSE-HP). Socio-demographic, academic, and professional background information was collected.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 104 residents (67 from Spain and 32 from Latin America) answered and returned the questionnairess. The JSE-HP showed adequate psychometric properties. The empathy mean score of Spanish group was higher than that of the Latin American group (P=.01). Differences in the development of empathy were associated with: the development of professional models (P<.001), the positive encounter with other professionals (P=.001), and with a continuing medical education (P=.008).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Some factors involved in the development of empathy that are sensitive to cultural influence have been characterised. The development of future research areas is suggested.
authors.affiliation: Comisión de Docencia, Hospital San Pedro, Logroño, La Rioja, España; Departamento de Diagnóstico por Imagen y Medicina Nuclear, Hospital San Pedro - Centro de Investigación Biomédica de La Rioja (CIBIR), Logroño, La Rioja, España.
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Delgado-Bolton
authors.affiliation: Grupo de Computación Científica, Universidad de La Rioja, Logroño, La Rioja, España; Plataforma de Bioética y Educación Médica, Centro de Investigación Biomédica de La Rioja (CIBIR), Logroño, La Rioja, España; Área de Salud, Nutrición y Bioética, Fundación Universitaria Iberoamericana (FUNIBER), Barcelona, España.
authors.forename: Montserrat
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: San-Martín
authors.affiliation: Servicio de Psiquiatría de Enlace, Psiconcología y Cuidados Paliativos, Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, Monterrey, Nuevo León, México; Plataforma de Bioética y Educación Médica, Centro de Investigación Biomédica de La Rioja (CIBIR), Logroño, La Rioja, España.
authors.forename: Adelina
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Alcorta-Garza
authors.affiliation: Plataforma de Bioética y Educación Médica, Centro de Investigación Biomédica de La Rioja (CIBIR), Logroño, La Rioja, España; Área de Salud, Nutrición y Bioética, Fundación Universitaria Iberoamericana (FUNIBER), Barcelona, España. Electronic address: lvivanco@riojasalud.es.
authors.forename: Luis
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Vivanco
mesh_terms: D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003466:Cultural Characteristics; D004501:Education, Medical; D004645:Empathy; D006801:Humans; D010820:Physicians; D011594:Psychometrics; D013030:Spain; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
keywords: Comparación intercultural; Cross-cultural comparison; Empathy; Empatía; Foreign medical graduates; Hospital docente; Médicos; Médicos graduados extranjeros; Physicians; Teaching hospital