Empathy and burnout of emergency professionals of a health region: a cross-sectional study

The objective of this study is to assess the association between levels of empathy and burnout of emergency professionals in all the assistance levels. A cross-sectional observational study was conducted in the health region of Lleida and the Pyrenees with 100 professionals from the field of Urgency. Participation reached 40.8%. Empathy and burnout were measured using the Spanish versions of the Jefferson Scale of Physician Empathy (JSPE) and Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) respectively. The total MBI score and its 3 dimensions (emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and personal accomplishment) were analyzed. The JSPE and MBI scores were categorized into tertiles that were identified as “low,” “moderate,” and “high” levels. The median (interquartile range) was 112 (102–123) and 37 (27–53.5) for the JSPE and MBI scores respectively. Professionals with high burnout (MBI≥47) showed the lowest levels of empathy, that is, JSPE score of 105 (98–114); those with moderate burnout (31 MBI<47) had a JSPE score of 114 (104.5–120.5); and those with low burnout (MBI