Importance of Empathy Level and Communication Skills of Intensive Care Unit Physicians in Kidney Transplantation
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ABSTRACT
Aim: The aim of this study was to analyze the correlation between empathy levels of Intensive Care Unit (ICU) physicians and rates of organ donation from cadavers.
Methods: This study was performed with ICU physicians who had been working in intensive care units in 13 hospitals in 6 provinces of Turkey for at least one year. The Jefferson Scale of Empathy healthcare professional version was used in evaluation of empathy status of the ICU physicians. Questionnaires were sent to the ICU physicians by e-mail and forms completed by those who accepted to participate in the study were received by e-mail.
Results: In this study, we found that there was a significant positive correlation between donor declaration and empathy scores of the ICU physicians. A direct significant correlation was obtained between donor declaration and empathy score and age and professional experience. Increase in shift numbers of the ICU physicians, contrary to age and professional experience, caused a decrease in donor declarations.
Conclusions: Organ donation rates could be increased by decreasing the shift load of ICU physicians. Training of younger and less experienced ICU physicians in empathy could ameliorate donor declarations.