Perceptions of Patient-Centered Care among First-Year Medical Students.

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Healthcare Communication
• Patient-Centered Care

Background:

• Patient-centered care (PCC) is integral to medical training.
• Existing PCC frameworks cover interpersonal to systems-level aspects.
• Little is known about early-stage medical students' perceptions of PCC.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore first-year medical students' perceptions of PCC.
• To inform the development and evaluation of medical curricula.
• To understand how students view PCC at the start of their training.

Main Methods:

• Semistructured, in-person interviews with 38 first-year medical students.
• Grounded theory and constant comparative method for data analysis.
• Longitudinal study design initiated within 4 months of starting medical school.

Main Results:

• Students offered heterogeneous and often implicit definitions of PCC.
• Many students struggled to define PCC concretely, contrasting it with profit- or physician-centered care.
• Some defined PCC through hypothetical physician behaviors and upholding patient values.

Conclusions:

• First-year medical students possess a range of limited PCC perceptions.
• Students may not develop a foundational understanding of PCC during medical school.
• Early, authentic clinical experiences are crucial for fostering PCC.