Patients’ Perspectives towards Bedside Teaching of Medical Students: an Analytical Cross Sectional Study in Tertiary Care Hospitals

Abstract

Objective: To determine patients’ perspectives about medical students’ involvement in bedside teachings and its effect on the quality of consultation. Study Design and setting: An analytical cross-sectional study conducted in Combined Military and Pak Emirates Military Hospital Rawalpindi from 1-September-2019, to 1-April-2020. Methodology: Data were collected by convenience sampling using self-structured questionnaire. With a response rate of 91%, sample of 294 from medicine and surgery departments were included who had or not consultations in presence of students, excluding patients with decreased mental functioning. Kruskal-wallis and Mann-Whitney-U tests were applied to compare mean scores considering statistically significant difference at <0.05. Results: Among participants (mean age 30.8 ± 8.51) almost 138(47%) patients thought benefitted interaction with students, 191(65%) expressed disagreement to discomfort during history, which decreased towards discussing sensitive information and examination in absence of senior. Among seven domains of questionnaire, positive attitude towards students and preference of local language received the highest mean score, discomfort during the examination and students’ acceptability received the lowest. A significant difference was found among participants with higher education regarding permission for students’ presence (p-value 0.009). Conclusion: Majority of participants considered students’ interaction beneficial, but shared discomfort feeling during examination. Students’ involvement was considered imperative for their training, thinking that they are serving the community. Participants with high education reflected upon permission prior to encounter and those with less education shared that all discussion in their presence must be in understandable language.