Patients' Attitudes toward Presence of Trainee Physicians during Consultation at PHCS Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Background and Aim: Presence of trainee doctors during consultation may create varying atmospheres during consultation. This study was conducted to assess the attitude of patients towards the presence of trainee doctors during consultation and identify factors related to patient satisfaction during consultation. Methods: We conducted a survey using a 37-item self-administered questionnaire on patients aged 18 to 64 years old who presented for consultation at three Primary Health Centers affiliated to Prince Sultan Military Medical City in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia between May and July 2017. Results: There were 417 respondents, 295 (70.7%) were males. There were 363 respondents (87.0%) who considered the trainee as a member of the medical team, 191 (45.8%) knew that they have the right to refuse examination by the trainee. There were 232 (55.6%) who were affected by the general appearance of the trainee, and 335 (80.3%) were affected by the manners of the trainees. There were 361 (86.6%) participants who preferred to be examined by a trainee in the presence of the treating physician. There were 302 (72.4%) participants who preferred that the trainee be of the same gender as them. There were 38 (9.1%) participants who claimed that they had a negative experience with a trainee. The older aged patients, males and the highly educated were more acceptable to the presence of trainees during consultation and examination. Conclusion: Presence of trainees and medical students during consultation and examination is now well-accepted by patients in Saudi Arabia. However, there still exists a significant amount of patients (particularly the female patients) who are reluctant to be examined by trainees and medical students, therefore requiring the presence and supervision of the attending physician in these instances.