Physician shadowing by college students: what do patients think?

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Patient Experience
• Qualitative Research

Background:

• Physician shadowing by college students is a common educational practice.
• Concerns exist regarding potential negative impacts on patient care and confidentiality.
• Patient perspectives on this practice are crucial for ethical considerations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate patient perceptions of college students shadowing physicians.
• To identify potential benefits and drawbacks from the patient's viewpoint.

Main Methods:

• Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 32 patients at two family medicine centers.
• Interviews were conducted in July and August 2013.
• Qualitative analysis of interview transcripts identified common themes.

Main Results:

• The majority of patients (78.1%) reported a neutral effect of student presence.
• Most patients (87.5%) had no concerns about confidentiality.
• No patient felt their relationship with the physician was negatively affected; many recognized the student's educational role and would permit future shadowing.

Conclusions:

• Patient perceptions of physician shadowing are predominantly neutral to positive.
• Perceived benefits for students and patients outweigh potential negative concerns.
• This study suggests that physician shadowing can be a valuable educational tool with patient support.