Attitudes of postgraduate orthodontic students in India towards patient-centered care

The aim of our study was to assess the attitudes of postgraduate orthodontic students in India towards patient-centered care. Two hundred and two students from eighteen dental schools across India completed the modified Patient-Practitioner Orientation Scale (PPOS), a self-administered eighteen-item questionnaire that evaluates the practice orientation of the students in terms of doctor versus patient-centeredness. The results revealed that the attitudes of the orthodontic postgraduate students in India were generally more doctor-centered (mean PPOS score of 3.38). As compared to their male counterparts, the female students were more considerate of the role of psychosocial factors in health and the importance of warm doctor-patient relationships (mean caring subscale score of 3.8 vs. 3.54, p<0.05). The third-year students were relatively more patient-centered than their first-year colleagues (mean PPOS score of 3.56 vs. 3.27, p<0.05) and were more willing to share power and information with their patients (mean sharing score of 3.24 vs. 2.92, p<0.01). In general, the students became more patient-centered as they progressed through their postgraduate course. The results of the study clearly imply the need for more active measures in order to develop a more patient-centered orthodontic health care system in India.