Patient-Centered Attitudes Among Iranian Medical Students Across Educational Stages: A Cross-sectional Study at Mashhad University of Medical Sciences

Abstract

Background: Patient-centered communication (PCC) has become a fundamental topic in medical education systems in recent decades. However, there is evidence that patient-centered attitudes diminish over the course of medical education. Objectives: We aimed to examine medical students’ patient-centered attitudes at Mashhad University of Medical Sciences in relation to age, gender, and stage of medical education. Methods: This cross-sectional study assessed 402 medical students at four different stages of medical training. Participants’ patient-centered attitudes and their demographic data were obtained via a Bipartite Questionnaire, including the Patient-Practitioner Orientation Scale (PPOS). Results: The PPOS scores in our participants were much lower than their counterparts in other countries (sharing and caring subscale scores were 3.53 ± 0.56 and 3.26 ± 0.39, respectively). In terms of attitude toward sharing information, a marginally significant (P = 0.053) decline was observed in the first semester of clinical work. The shift in attitude was not associated with gender, but older students had lower scores (P = 0.007). Sharing scores showed significant relationships with the stage of education but did not differ with sex. Conclusions: Despite the ongoing emphasis on a patient-centered curriculum, students exhibited doctor-centered attitudes, and the corresponding scores were closer to those reported from other Asian countries. This finding can be explained by cultural and social contexts and environmental distress.