Exploring the understanding of healthcare professionalism and perceived barriers and enablers towards the display of professionalism: a qualitative study

Abstract

Background Professionalism plays an integral part in healthcare. The range of definitions and domains of professionalism reflects its complexity and in Singapore, professionalism is codified by the Singapore Medical Council ethical code and ethical guidelines. Many have studied professionalism using a priori frameworks, but none used phenomenological studies to explore professionalism through the perception and lived experiences of healthcare professionals themselves. In addition, few have explored factors that hinder or promote professionalism in an Asian setting. These valuable insights help support the growth and development of programs on professionalism and guide us in changing and making policies. Methods Through semi-structured interviews, views and experiences of healthcare professionals towards professionalism in a single healthcare cluster were explored. Specifically, the perception of professionalism and perceived barriers and enablers were examined. Results Our study found that healthcare professionals largely share the same understanding of professionalism, encompassing conduct, communication, competency, collaboration, and image. Notably, some facets such as the importance of attire and inter-professional collaboration were emphasized more strongly by certain healthcare groups. Conclusions Healthcare professionals see high workload and stress as barriers while factors such as having the right qualities coupled with the support from mentors and team as enablers in the display of professionalism.