Jefferson Scale of Empathy [JSE-20]

Scale Analysis

The Jefferson Scale of Empathy (JSE) was developed by T. Jefferson in 2001 and is an instrument used to measure empathy within the context of education, healthcare professionals, and patient care. Psychometric support for the scale has been reported among medical students and interns, excluding osteopathic medical students.

Purpose

The Jefferson Scale of Empathy was created to measure the orientation of medical students toward empathy in their role as physicians toward patients.

Question Calibration

Participants are asked to respond to 20 items by considering how they interact with their patients, using a 7-point Likert-type scale. Items 1–10 are rated from 1 (strongly disagree) to 7 (strongly agree), while items 11–20 are reverse-scored, rated from 1 (strongly agree) to 7 (strongly disagree).

Statistical Analysis

The scale produces a total score by summing the values of each item, with a range from 20 to 140. High scores on items 11–20 indicate that the student may not be suitable for the role of a physician.

Validity and Reliability

The scale has been adapted into Greek by A.G. Sfakianakis and was translated using a reverse independent translation procedure. The scale demonstrated acceptable internal consistency with a Cronbach’s alpha of 0.82 and good test-retest reliability.