Association Between Empathy Competence and Emotional Intelligence Among Medical Undergraduates: A Cross-sectional Study

Abstract

Purpose Study on the relationship between empathy competence and emotional intelligence used to provide suggestions for alleviating miscommunication that leads to misunderstandings between doctors and patients. Methods Stratified random cluster sampling was employed for questionnaires from 688 medical undergraduates in Weifang medical university (a provincial colleges and universities in Weifang City, Shandong Province, China) by means of PES and EIS. Results There were significant differences in self-regulation and emotions regulation of others between genders (P 0.05). There were significant differences in all dimensions of emotional intelligence except self-regulated emotion between grades (P < 0.05), and there were significant differences in emotional sharing, positive care and empathy competence among grades (P < 0.05). Medical undergraduates' emotional intelligence is positively correlated with empathy competence. Conclusion Medical colleges and universities should establish a systematic, professional and organic curriculum system of humanities and social sciences, and attach importance to the continuity of emotional intelligence and empathy training.