Navigating Patient Comfort: Gendered Perspectives on Medical Student Involvement in Healthcare Interactions in Peshawar, Pakistan : Gendered Perspectives on Medical Student Involvement

Salman Zahir; Khansa Khan; Sarwat Jahan; Somia Mazhar; Sulaiman Hussain; Zee Shan Khan; Zahoor Ahmad Khan; Ismail Bangash

doi:10.54393/pjhs.v4i12.1203

Authors

Salman Zahir Department of Medicine and Surgery, Northwest General Hospital and Research Center, Peshawar, Pakistan
Khansa Khan Department of Medicine and Surgery, Northwest School of Medicine, Peshawar, Pakistan
Sarwat Jahan Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Northwest School of Medicine, Peshawar, Pakistan
Somia Mazhar Department of Biomedical Sciences, National University of Science and Technology, Islamabad, Pakistan
Sulaiman Hussain Department of Medicine and Surgery, Northwest School of Medicine, Peshawar, Pakistan
Zee Shan Khan Department of Medicine and Surgery, Northwest School of Medicine, Peshawar, Pakistan
Zahoor Ahmad Khan Department of Medicine and Surgery, Northwest School of Medicine, Peshawar, Pakistan
Ismail Bangash Department of Medicine and Surgery, Jinnah Medical College, Peshawar, Pakistan

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.54393/pjhs.v4i12.1203

Keywords:

Patient Comfort, Medical Education, Healthcare Interactions

Abstract

Patient interactions are fundamental to medical education, influencing the training of medical students and shaping their clinical understanding. Objective: To probe patient perspectives on the presence of medical students during consultations, clinical examinations and surgical procedures, with a focus on identifying gender-based differences in preferences and comfort levels. Methodology: This cross-sectional study was conducted in tertiary care hospitals in Peshawar involving 500 patients from Northwest General Hospital and Research Center and Northwest Teaching Hospital, data collected through a self-structured questionnaire revealed distinct gender disparities. Results: Male participants generally exhibited higher approval and comfort levels with medical student involvement, particularly during consultations, examinations, and surgery. Variations were evident in preferences related to medical history taking, comfort during physical examinations, and willingness to permit students in the operating room. Patients underscored the importance of recognizing gender preferences in medical student interactions. Conclusions: This study emphasized the significance of tailoring medical education practices to address gender-specific variations, ensuring a patient-centered approach and fostering positive healthcare experiences for all.

References

Ferguson LM, Ward H, Card S, Sheppard S, McMurtry J. Putting the ‘patient’back into patient-centred care: An education perspective. Nurse Education in Practice. 2013 Jul; 13(4): 283-7. doi: 10.1016/j.nepr.2013.03.016. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nepr.2013.03.016

Marwan Y, Al-Saddique M, Hassan A, Karim J, Al-Saleh M. Are medical students accepted by patients in teaching hospitals? Medical Education Online. 2012 Jan; 17(1): 17172. doi: 10.3402/meo.v17i0.17172. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3402/meo.v17i0.17172

Sayed-Hassan RM, Bashour HN, Koudsi AY. Patient attitudes towards medical students at Damascus University Teaching Hospital. BMC Medical Education. 2012 Dec; 12: 1-8. doi: 10.1186/1472-6920-12-13. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/1472-6920-12-13

Choudhury TR, Moosa AA, Cushing A, Bestwick J. Patients’ attitudes towards the presence of medical students during consultations. Medical Teacher. 2006 Jan; 28(7): e198-203. doi: 10.1080/01421590600834336. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/01421590600834336

O'Flynn N and Rymer J. Consent for teaching: the experience of women attending a gynaecology clinic. Medical Education. 2003 Dec; 37(12): 1109-14. doi: 10.1046/j.1365-2923.2003.01715.x. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1365-2923.2003.01715.x

Thurman AR, Litts PL, O'Rourke K, Swift S. Patient acceptance of medical student participation in an outpatient obstetric/gynecologic clinic. The Journal of Reproductive Medicine. 2006 Feb; 51(2): 109-14.

Passaperuma K, Higgins J, Power S, Taylor T. Do patients’ comfort levels and attitudes regarding medical student involvement vary across specialties? Medical Teacher. 2008 Jan; 30(1): 48-54. doi: 10.1080/01421590701753443. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/01421590701753443

Abdulghani HM, Al-Rukban MO, Ahmad SS. Patient attitudes towards medical students in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Education Health (Abingdon). 2008 Jul; 21(2): 69. doi: 10.4103/1357-6283.101578. DOI: https://doi.org/10.4103/1357-6283.101578

Mwaka AD, Taremwa S, Adoch W, Achan J, Ainembabazi P, Walego G et al. Patients’ attitudes towards involvement of medical students in their care at university teaching hospitals of three public universities in Uganda: a cross sectional study. BMC Medical Education. 2022 Dec; 22(1): 1-6. doi: 10.1186/s12909-022-03576-4. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-022-03576-4

Vaughn JL, Rickborn LR, Davis JA. Patients' attitudes toward medical student participation across specialties: a systematic review. Teaching and Learning in Medicine. 2015 Jul; 27(3): 245-53. doi: 10.1080/10401334.2015.1044750. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/10401334.2015.1044750

Salah AB, El Mhamdi S, Bouanene I, Sriha A, Soltani M. Patients’ attitude towards bedside teaching in Tunisia. International Journal of Medical Education. 2015 Dec; 6: 201. doi: 10.5116/ijme.5669.ea24. DOI: https://doi.org/10.5116/ijme.5669.ea24

Temesgen WA. Patients’ attitude towards medical students’ involvement in their health care at Tikur Anbessa Specialized Hospital, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 2010. Ethiopian Journal of Health Sciences. 2013 Jul; 23(2): 158-64.

Iqbal MZ, Bukhamsin EY, Alghareeb FY, Almarri NM, Aldajani LM, Busaleh HA. Participation of medical students in patient care: How do patients perceive it? Journal of Family Medicine and Primary Care. 2020 Jul; 9(7): 3644. doi: 10.4103/jfmpc.jfmpc_130_20. DOI: https://doi.org/10.4103/jfmpc.jfmpc_130_20

Nicum R and Karoo R. Expectations and opinions of pregnant women about medical students being involved in care at the time of delivery. Medical Education. 1998 May; 32(3): 320-4. doi: 10.1046/j.1365-2923.1998.00205.x. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1365-2923.1998.00205.x

Hartz MB and Beal JR. Patients' Attitudes and Comfort Levels Regarding Medical Students' Involvement in Obstetrics—Gynecology Outpatient Clinics. Academic Medicine. 2000 Oct; 75(10): 1010-4. doi: 10.1097/00001888-200010000-00018. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1097/00001888-200010000-00018

Woolner A and Cruickshank M. What do pregnant women think of student training? The Clinical Teacher. 2015 Oct; 12(5): 325-30. doi: 10.1111/tct.12312. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/tct.12312

Grasby D and Quinlivan JA. Attitudes of patients towards the involvement of medical students in their intrapartum obstetric care. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology. 2001 Feb; 41(1): 91-6. doi: 10.1111/j.1479-828X.2001.tb01302.x. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1479-828X.2001.tb01302.x

Bentham J, Burke J, Clark J, Svoboda C, Vallance G, Yeow M. Students conducting consultations in general practice and the acceptability to patients. Medical Education. 1999 Sep; 33(9):686-7. doi: 10.1046/j.1365-2923.1999.00410.x. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1365-2923.1999.00410.x

Coleman K and Murray E. Patients' views and feelings on the community-based teaching of undergraduate medical students: a qualitative study. Family Practice. 2002 Apr; 19(2): 183-8. doi: 10.1093/fampra/19.2.183. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/fampra/19.2.183

Carmody D, Tregonning A, Nathan E, Newnham JP. Patient perceptions of medical students’ involvement in their obstetrics and gynaecology health care. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology. 2011 Dec; 51(6): 553-8. doi: 10.1111/j.1479-828X.2011.01362.x. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1479-828X.2011.01362.x