The Attitude of Patients towards the Involvement of Medical Students during a Medical Procedure or Examination

Abstract

Objective: The following study is aimed at investigating the attitude of patients towards medical students as they deliver services to them in terms of medical investigation or procedures. 

Methods: Through a questionnaire, the researcher asked patients what their preferences are as regards medical students attending them. The points of interest were the number of medical students a patient would be comfortable with, the gender of the student and the types of medical investigation or procedure that the patient would be comfortable with if attended by a student.

Results: Of the 144 patients sampled, 69.44% were male and 30.56% were female, out of which 56% consented to involvement of medical students on teaching practice, as 44.05% refused. Different patients were comfortable only with a particular number of students attending them. For example, 37.8 % of respondents who consented preferred only 1 student's presence while 29.26% preferred 2 students. More than ¾ of the respondents wanted a student attending them to be under the supervision of a professional doctor. Different respondents had diverse opinions on the role of the student in the examination or procedure. Religion also played a role in the manner of attending to the patient, as well as the preferred gender of the attending student.

Discussion: The proportion of consenting respondents was just slightly higher than those refusing to be attended by students in medical practice. This may imply that a good number or patients are suspicious or uncomfortable with medical students attending them. Patients were also selective on the number of students to attend to them. The nature of examination also influenced consent or refusal of attendance by students.