Empathy in clinical dietitians and dietetic interns

The major purpose of this research was to measure empathy in clinical dietitians and dietetic interns. These data were used to determine if empathy levels of clinical dietitians are affected by experience and/or education. Empathy is recognized as a valuable skill in the helping professions and, in this case, clinical dietetics and nutritional counseling. The information gained from this study is needed to assess the relevance of incorporating more empathic skills and communication training programs into dietetic and continuing education.