Assessment of medical students’ attitude toward the doctor-patient relationship.

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate the attitudes of medical students in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK), Pakistan, toward the doctor-patient relationship. Study Design: Descriptive Cross Sectional study. Setting: Department of Community Medicine, Gomal Medical College Dera Ismail Khan. Period: 10^th February to 10^th May 2025. Methods: Using non probability convenient sampling approach. 400 MBBS students from 17 medical colleges in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK), Pakistan, made up the sample. Data were collected using a validated, structured questionnaire that included the 18-item Patient-Practitioner Orientation Scale (PPOS) measured the "sharing" and "caring" domains. In order to investigate demographic correlations, statistical analysis was conducted with SPSS 27 trial version software, utilizing descriptive statistics, independent t-tests, and ANOVA with Post Hoc test. Results: A moderate patient-centered orientation was indicated by the overall mean PPOS score of (3.62 ± 0.45). Higher empathy than collaborative decision-making was suggested by subscale analysis, which showed higher scores in the caring subscale (3.95 ± 0.57) than the sharing subscale (3.30 ± 0.61). Students in the public sector performed better in the sharing domain (p = 0.044), while female students performed significantly better in the caring domain (p = 0.020). Conclusion: This study revealed that medical students in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK), Pakistan generally have moderately patient-centered attitudes. They are more inclined to provide empathetic care than to share decision-making. These results demonstrate the necessity of enhancing instructional approaches that foster empathy and teamwork in medical education.