Assessing attitudes toward patient-centered care among medical students in Taibah University: A cross-sectional study
Abeer Fathy, Marwa M. Fawzi, Tayseer MansourBACKGROUND:
Patient-centered care (PCC) is crucial for quality health care, and medical education plays a vital role in fostering PCC attitudes among future physicians. However, evidence on the development of these attitudes during medical training is inconsistent, particularly in Saudi Arabia. To evaluate patient-centered attitudes among undergraduate medical students at Taibah University in Saudi Arabia and to examine the relationship between these attitudes, academic year, and gender.
MATERIALS AND METHODS:
A cross-sectional observational study was conducted during the 2024–2025 academic year among medical students from the second to sixth year. A convenience sampling method was used to recruit participants. Participants were categorized into Phase 1 (2 nd –3 rd year), Phase 2 (4 th –5 th year), and Phase 3 (6 th year). The Patient–Practitioner Orientation Scale (PPOS), measuring ‹Sharing› and ‹Caring› dimensions, was administered using an online survey. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, t-tests, and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), with <0.05 considered significant.
RESULTS:
A total of 207 students participated (67.6% female). The mean overall PPOS score was 3.89 (SD = 0.67), with the Caring subscale (4.22 ± 0.79) scoring higher than the Sharing subscale (3.67 ± 0.70). Female students scored significantly higher on total PPOS and the Caring subscale. A decline in Caring scores was observed in Phase 3 (Year 6) students compared with earlier years (=0.013).
CONCLUSIONS:
Medical students at Taibah University showed moderately patient-centered attitudes, with higher scores in the “Caring” dimension than in “Sharing.” A decline in patient-centered attitudes was observed during clinical years. These findings emphasize the need to improve PCC education, especially during clinical training. It is proposed that medical curricula be revised to better support the development and maintenance of caring attitudes throughout the entire course of medical training.