Abstract
Background. A good doctor–patient relationship is the centre stone of modern medicine. Patients are getting increasingly aware about exercising their autonomy and thus modern medicine cannot deliver all its advances to the patients if a good doctor–patient relationship is not established. We initiated this study with the aim to assess the leaning of medical students, who are the future physicians, towards either a doctor-centered or a patient-centered care, and to explore the effects of personal attributes on care such as gender, academic year, etc.Materials & Methods. A cross-sectional study was conducted between July and Sep 2013. CMH Lahore Medical and Dental College Ethical Review Committee approved the study questionnaire. The study population consisted of 1,181 medical students in years 1–5 from two medical colleges. The English version of Patient Practitioner Orientation Scale (PPOS) was used to assess attitudes of medical students towards doctor–patient relationship. PPOS yields a mean score range of 1–6, where 1 signifies tendency towards a doctor centered relationship and 6 signifies patient-centered relationship. The relationship between PPOS scores and individual characteristics like gender, academic year etc. were examined by multiple regression.Results. A total of 783 students formed the final sample (response rate = 92%). Mean PPOS score of the entire sample was 3.40 (± .49 S.D.). Mean sharing sub-scale score was 3.18 (± 0.62 S.D. Mean caring sub-scale score was 3.63 (± 0.56 S.D.). Characteristics associated with most patient-centered attitudes were advanced academic year, having a clinical rotation, foreign background and studying in a private college. Gender, having doctor parents, relationship and residence status had no bearing on the attitudes (p > 0.05).Conclusion. Despite ongoing debate and the emphasis on a patient-centered curriculum, our study suggests that the current curriculum and its teachings are not producing the results they are designed to achieve. Students should be adequately exposed to the patients from the beginning of their medical education in clinical settings which are more sympathetic to a patient-centered care.
Highlights
A good doctor–patient relationship is the center-stone of modern medicine
Our findings suggest that Pakistani medical students very much believe in “Doctor Knows Best” (Tor, 2001)
No clear pattern was established in consecutive academic years in terms of mean Patient Practitioner Orientation Scale (PPOS) scores or caring sub-scale scores
Summary
A good doctor–patient relationship is the center-stone of modern medicine. On the other hand, when it is kept horizontal (patient-centered or egalitarian) the patient is encouraged to play the role of a partner (Campbell & McGauley, 2005) and takes greater responsibility for his own health (Kaba & Sooriakumaran, 2007) It benefits doctors by decreasing the incidence of complaints and litigation (Fallowfield, 2008) and enables them to work at an optimum level to attain the four prima facie maxims (beneficence, non-maleficence, respect for autonomy and justice) (Tor, 2001) of modern medicine. Characteristics associated with most patient-centered attitudes were advanced academic year, having a clinical rotation, foreign background and studying in a private college. Students should be adequately exposed to the patients from the beginning of their medical education in clinical settings which are more sympathetic to a patient-centered care
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