Attitudes of Medical Students Toward Patient-Centered Care at Iran University of Medical Sciences in 2023-2024

Abstract

Patient-centered care, which prioritizes patients' needs, values, and preferences, is a cornerstone of modern healthcare delivery.  This study aimed to evaluate the attitudes of medical students at Iran University of Medical Sciences toward providing patient-centered care. This cross-sectional study included medical students in all academic degrees at Iran University of Medical Sciences. Data were collected through the Patient-Practitioner Orientation Scale (PPOS) distributed online. The collected data were analyzed using SPSS version 26. Of the 389 participants, 48.6% were male and 51.4% were female, with a mean age of 24.02±2.435 years. Moreover, 41.09% of the participants were in the clerkship stage, 40.9% were in the internship stage, and 14.7% had at least one parent who was a physician. The most preferred specialties were cardiology, surgery, and ophthalmology, respectively. The mean scores for the overall PPOS, sharing subscale, and caring subscale were 3.61± 0.50, 3.39± 0.64, and 3.83± 0.56, respectively, indicating a predominantly physician-centered attitude among students. There was a significant relationship between the mean scores of the three parts and gender (P-value<0.001), with female students demonstrating more patient-centered attitudes. Academic degree was significantly associated only with the mean score of the sharing subscale. The findings suggest that most medical students at Iran University of Medical Sciences exhibit a physician-centered attitude toward the physician-patient relationship. The results highlight the need for educational programs to promote patient-centered attitudes and enhance patient participation in diagnostic and treatment processes among medical students.