Patient Willingness To Undergraduate Medical Student Involvement In Their Care At The Kenyatta National Hospital: A Cross Sectional Study.

Abstract

Research Question: How willing are patients to the participation of medical students in their care. Objective: To determine the level of patient willingness to medical student participation in their care Design: Cross sectional study Methods: Qualitative in-depth interviews of patients within the surgical wards of the Kenyatta National Hospital in Nairobi. A sample of 16 patients purposefully selected from the surgical wards based on their prior contact with medical students were chosen. Amongst the outcome measures evaluated were patient willingness to history taking and physical examination by undergraduate medical students. The patients’ perception of student bedside conduct and patient readiness to decline to be seen by students. Factors influencing the level of patient willingness to be attended to by medical students and also to look at the patients’ assessment of the benefit of medical students in the wards. Data collected was entered into a questionnaire and analysed by themes and codes. Findings: Participant willingness to participate in the training of medical students overall is favourable but should not be assumed. Some participants are declining to be seen by students and a means of correcting this situation needs to be found. Areas of concern expressed by participants include privacy, student conduct, poor clinical skills and the inconvenient student visiting times. Better training in student communication skills needs to be implemented. Improved bedside etiquette and respect for patients’ “undisturbed times” need to be observed. A balance must be struck between student eagerness to learn and patient willingness to be seen by students. As a result Medical Schools will need to consider incorporating alternate teaching methods to enable medical students to acquire the much needed clinical skills.