Medical Students' Perceptions of the Doctor-Patient Relationship: A Cross-Sectional Study from Saudi Arabia

Introduction The physician-patient relationship is at the heart of the art of medicine. Patient-centered care is rapidly evolving as the standard of care as well as the optimal vehicle to achieve high-quality healthcare and good clinical outcomes. This study aims to examine the attitudes of pre-clinical (third-year) students from Alfaisal University (Riyadh, Saudi Arabia) toward the physician-patient relationship. Methods This cross-sectional study took place during the spring 2017 academic year. All third-year students (n=210) were requested to voluntarily complete an online and anonymous questionnaire. The questionnaire covered students' demographical characteristics (gender, nationality, and cumulative grade point average) and their response to a previously validated instrument, the Patient-Practitioner Orientation Scale (PPOS), which explores the attitudes of medical students toward the doctor-patient relationship. Results In total, 132 students participated in the survey (n=132/210) with an overall response rate of 62.9%. Most respondents were female (56.8%), non-Saudi citizens (53.0%), and high achievers (70.5%). Most of the mean scores on the PPOS statements indicated patient-centered attitudes - that is, mean scores were higher than "3". The mean score for the overall PPOS was 4.0 ± 1.5, whereas the mean scores for the sharing and caring domains were 4.2 ± 1.5 and 3.8 ± 1.4, respectively. Univariate correlations between the students' demographics and their mean scores for the sharing domain, caring domain, and overall PPOS showed no statistically significant differences (p > 0.05). Conclusion The pre-clinical medical students showed favorable patient-centered attitudes. There were no statistically significant differences between students' demographics (gender, nationality, and academic performance) and PPOS scores (sharing domain, caring domain and overall score).