MEDICAL PROFESSIONALISM ASSESSMENT AND SELF-EVALUATION PRACTICES AMONG GEORGIAN MEDICAL PRACTITIONERS

Medical professionalism represents a core component of high-quality healthcare and underpins public trust in the medical profession. Despite its recognized importance, systematic assessment and self-evaluation of professionalism remain inconsistently implemented in many educational and clinical settings.

To explore Georgian medical practitioners' perceptions of medical professionalism, its assessment during undergraduate medical education, and self-evaluation practices in clinical work.

This cross-sectional study was conducted among practicing medical doctors working in various healthcare institutions across Georgia. A convenience sampling method was applied. Participation was voluntary and anonymous. A total of 120 questionnaires were distributed for Questionnaire 1, of which 99 were returned (response rate: 82.5%). For Questionnaire 2, 80 questionnaires were distributed and 62 responses were received (response rate: 77.5%). Participants represented various specialties and levels of clinical experience. Demographic data including age, gender, specialty, and years of clinical practice were collected to ensure appropriate characterization of the study population. Two structured questionnaires were developed by the research team based on established literature on medical professionalism. Prior to full implementation, the questionnaires were pilot-tested on a small group of physicians (n=10) to ensure clarity and relevance.

Questionnaire 1 was completed by 99 medical doctors from 37 hospitals across Georgia. Professionalism was rated as highly important by 95% of respondents. Among participants involved in teaching (61%, n=61), 66% (n=40) reported actively assessing professionalism, whereas no formal assessment was reported among those not involved in teaching (39%, n=38) (p<0.001). Considerable variability was observed in the understanding of professionalism, encompassing knowledge and skills, clinical experience, communication, ethics, empathy, and continuing medical education. Questionnaire 2 was completed by 62 medical practitioners, of whom 56% reported regular self-assessment of professionalism, while 29% did not engage in self-evaluation.

Although recognition of medical professionalism is high among Georgian medical practitioners, substantial gaps remain in its systematic assessment and self-evaluation. The findings highlight the need for standardized criteria and structured implementation of professionalism assessment in medical education and clinical practice.