Measuring the preference towards patient-centred communication with the Chinese-revised Patient-Practitioner Orientation Scale: a cross-sectional study among physicians and patients in clinical settings in Shanghai, China

Mapping the translation and psychometric characteristics of the Patient-Practitioner Oriented Scale: A scoping review

BACKGROUND

The Patient-Practitioner Orientation Scale (PPOS) is the most widely used instrument to assess attitudes towards patient-centered care (PCC).

OBJECTIVE

To map and synthesize the psychometric characteristics of available translations of the PPOS.

METHODS

We conducted a scoping review guided by the requirements of the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses extension for Scoping Reviews. The search was conducted in PubMed, PsycInfo, Cochane, and CINHAL, and included studies published in English.

RESULTS

Nine studies, describing the translation and validation process of the PPOS into Italian, French, Chinese, Sinhala, Turkish, German, Portuguese, and Spanish were included. The quality of the translation process was adequate in all studies. Internal reliability was better for the full scale than for its subscales.

CONCLUSION

This review attests to the importance of conducting a standardized and transparent translation and validation process. We showed that although these requirements are met in the majority of the studies included, differences exist in the number of items included in the scale and its dimensionality.

PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS

Having a clear description of the translation and validation processes will assist researchers and clinicians when implementing and evaluating PCC. It will also advance and improve cross-cultural knowledge in the area.

A Brief Web-Based Person-Centered Care Group Training Program for the Management of Generalized Anxiety Disorder: Feasibility Randomized Controlled Trial in Spain

Background

Shared decision-making (SDM) is a crucial aspect of patient-centered care. While several SDM training programs for health care professionals have been developed, evaluation of their effectiveness is scarce, especially in mental health disorders such as generalized anxiety disorder.

Objective

This study aims to assess the feasibility and impact of a brief training program on the attitudes toward SDM among primary care professionals who attend to patients with generalized anxiety disorder.

Methods

A feasibility randomized controlled trial was conducted. Health care professionals recruited in primary care centers were randomized to an intervention group (training program) or a control group (waiting list). The intervention consisted of 2 web-based sessions applied by 2 psychologists (VR and YA), based on the integrated elements of the patient-centered care model and including group dynamics and video viewing. The outcome variable was the Leeds Attitudes Towards Concordance scale, second version (LATCon II), assessed at baseline and after the second session (3 months). After the randomized controlled trial phase, the control group also received the intervention and was assessed again.

Results

Among 28 randomized participants, 5 withdrew before the baseline assessment. The intervention significantly increased their scores compared with the control group in the total scale (b=0.57; P=.018) and 2 subscales: communication or empathy (b=0.74; P=.036) and shared control (ie, patient participation in decisions: b=0.68; P=.040). The control group also showed significant pre-post changes after receiving the intervention.

Conclusions

For a future effectiveness trial, it is necessary to improve the recruitment and retention strategies. The program produced a significant improvement in participants' attitude toward the SDM model, but due to this study's limitations, mainly the small sample size, more research is warranted.

New Evidences About Multidimensionality of the Patient-Practitioner Orientation Scale (PPOS) Construct in Undergraduate Medical Students

Background

Patient-centered care is becoming a paradigm in medicine. The Patient-Practitioner Orientation Scale (PPOS) is the only tool that measures the patient-centered attitude of healthcare students and professionals. Despite its spread, PPOS has had a poor process of scale modelling and validation and previous studies raised concerns about its psychometric robustness.

Objective

This study aims to investigate the PPOS psychometric properties, factor structure, and construct validity on a large sample of undergraduate medical students.

Methods

Participants of this cross-sectional single-center study are 1543 first-year medical students. PPOS item validity (internal consistency, test-retest reliability), factor structure (explorative principal axis factoring), and construct validity (convergent-discriminant validity, between-groups invariance) have been investigated.

Results

A three-factor not clearly defined solution explaining 34.4% of the variance and containing 14 items out of 18 was retained. Internal consistency was questionable for factor 1 (a = 0.657), poor for factor 2 (a = 0.566), and unacceptable for factor 3 (a = 0.399). Item-total correlations for factor 1 and factor 2 were > 0.3, except for item 6 (ITC = 0.218) and item 12 (ITC = 0.283). Item total-correlations for factor 3 were all < 0.3. Test-retest reliability was acceptable for factor 1 (ICC = 0.704) and factor 2 (ICC = 0.789) and questionable for factor 3 (ICC = 0.661). Construct validity and measurement invariance across groups were satisfactory.

Conclusion

Findings in this study corroborate previous evidences about PPOS psychometric limitations and provide new evidence about the multidimensionality of patient-centeredness construct.

Are Patient-Centered Care, Healthcare Consumerism, and Trust in Physicians Compatible?: Positioning Analysis of the Patient-Provider Relationship

Patient-centered care and healthcare consumerism are dominant models of the patient-provider relationship. Positioning theory was applied to examine consumers' and physicians' positions on patient-centered care and healthcare consumerism, along with their attitudes toward direct-to-consumer healthcare service advertising and trust in the medical profession. Surveys were conducted with a convenience sample of consumers and physicians respectively. Patient-centered care was the only theoretical construct that both consumers and physicians unequivocally embraced. Both groups were either ambivalent or skeptical of the other three concepts. Between the two groups, physicians exhibited a stronger endorsement of patient-centered care and more negative attitudes toward advertising than consumers. When the relationships among the theoretical constructs were examined, a negative correlation between patient-centered care and consumerism was found among consumers. Also, patient-centered care and trust were negatively correlated in both groups. Implications of these findings are discussed for strategic communication, consumer and physician education, and future research.

Attitudes toward Patient-Centred Care, Empathy, and Assertiveness among Students in Rehabilitation Areas: A Longitudinal Study

This study assessed attitudes toward patient-centred care, empathy, assertiveness, and subjective perception of communication skills and technical knowledge among Portuguese undergraduate students in healthcare. These students may develop rehabilitation activities with patients in their person-oriented or technique-oriented professions. Portuguese nursing and allied health students from two public higher education schools completed questionnaires in the first and third academic years: Patient-Practitioner Orientation Scale, Jefferson Scale of Physician Empathy, Scale for Interpersonal Behaviour, and a subjective perception of technical knowledge and communication skills. A total of 183 students completed the surveys. In the first year, students showed moderate to high scores on patient-centredness attitudes, empathy, and assertiveness and perceived themselves as having good communication skills. Students from person-oriented programmes significantly improved their Total and shared patient-centred attitudes in the third year compared with students attending technique-oriented professions. Significant differences in empathy were found between groups in the third year. Distress associated with assertive behaviours increased significantly across time in students from technique-oriented programmes compared with their peers in person-oriented programmes. The results suggest that the health profession's orientation and the programmes' specific curriculum might have a role in how some dimensions evolved in the two groups of students. The increasing assertiveness-related discomfort highlighted the importance of assessing and monitoring students' emotional wellbeing during their initial interactions with patients.

Patient-centered care - evidence in the context of professional health practice

OBJECTIVES

to analyze patient-centered attitudes in care and sharing practices of nursing, speech therapy, dentistry and medicine professionals.

METHODS

cross-sectional research was used with 411 professionals, and the Patient-Practitioner Orientation Scale instrument was applied as a measure of outcome.

RESULTS

physicians presented higher mean scores, reflecting a patient-centered orientation, shared control, and focus on the person, with statistical difference for all domains (p<0.02). Dentists were the professionals who presented lower scores, especially in the sharing domain, with statistical difference in relation to nurses, speech therapists, and physicians (p<0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

finally, the attitudes of professionals in the health areas studied indicated self-reported preference for centrality in patients. In this context, patient-centered care can be an important resource in health care when committed to overcoming the object man.

Factors affecting physicians' attitudes towards patient-centred care: a cross-sectional survey in Beijing

OBJECTIVES

Patient-centred care has been raised as an important component in providing high-quality healthcare services. This research aims to measure physicians' attitudes towards patient-centred care in Chinese healthcare settings and to identify the sociodemographic predictors of their attitudes using an exploratory research design.

DESIGN

A cross-sectional survey.

SETTING

Twelve hospitals in Beijing, China.

PARTICIPANTS

1290 physicians from 12 hospitals in Beijing were invited to take part in the survey using snowball sampling methods. There was a response rate of 84% (n=1084), of which 1053 responses (82%) were valid and included in this research.

METHODS

This research used a survey containing a previously validated 6-point Likert scale called 'Chinese-revised Patient-Practitioner Orientation Scale' (CR-PPOS). Descriptive statistics and multivariable logistic regression analyses were performed to measure participants' attitudes and to identify the sociodemographic predictors of Chinese physicians' attitudes towards patient-centred care.

RESULTS

Gender, professional title (ie, seniority) and hospital type influence Chinese physicians' attitudes towards patient-centred care. Female physicians, physicians with intermediate titles and those who work in tertiary (ie, top-level) hospitals tend to have higher patient-centred attitudes (OR=1.532, 95% CI 1.160 to 2.022; OR=2.089, 95% CI 1.206 to 3.618; OR=2.198, 95% CI 1.465 to 3.297) than male physicians with other titles, and than those who work in first, secondary or private hospitals. Physicians working in non-surgical departments, those who have received training in doctor-patient communication, and those who are satisfied with their income obtained high patient-centred scores, both on the overall CR-PPOS and its two subscales.

CONCLUSIONS

This research identified sociodemographic predictors of Chinese physicians' attitudes towards patient-centred care. The findings contribute to knowledge of factors to be considered in reforming medical education and the Chinese healthcare system to improve physician-patient relationships and provide high-quality healthcare to patients. However, these findings are exploratory in nature and require further investigation to establish their validity and generalisability.

A 4-factor perspective of the patient-practitioner orientation scale (PPOS): a deeper understanding of patient-centredness

BACKGROUND

Although patient-centred medical services are widely recognized and accepted, how to define and evaluate them remains a controversial topic.

OBJECTIVES

This study attempts to evaluate the underlying structure of the Patient-Practitioner Orientation Scale (PPOS) with a homogenous population and clarify the connotation of patient-centredness.

METHODS

In this cross-sectional study, 279 7th year Chinese medical students in were selected to examine the internal structure of the PPOS by means of internal consistency, exploratory, and confirmatory factor analyses.

RESULTS

Both the two-factor model and the four-factor model showed acceptable internal consistency and structural validity. The four-factor model that endorsed the implicit attitude towards the doctor-patient relationship outperformed the two-factor model in terms of adaptability.

CONCLUSIONS

The PPOS has good psychometric attributes, as evaluated by Chinese medical students. This article attempts to explore patient-centredness from the perspective of implicit attitudes that affect the doctor-patient relationship and resummarizes the four factors. These four dimensions may suggest a deeper attitude towards the doctor-patient relationship, while "sharing information" or "caring about" the "patient" is the behaviour and preference expressed on the basis of these four attitudes, which is the result rather than the cause.

PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS

Understanding the underlying attitudes towards the doctor-patient relationship can help to construct a patient-centred medical service concept and improve the doctor-patient relationship in medical education courses and the system design of medical activities.

A Virtual Community of Practice to Improve Primary Health Care Professionals' Attitudes Toward Patient Empowerment (e-MPODERA): A Cluster Randomized Trial

PURPOSE

We aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of a virtual community of practice (vCoP) in improving primary health care professionals' (HCPs') attitudes toward empowering patients with chronic disease.

METHODS

We conducted a cluster randomized controlled trial. Practices were units of randomization, and primary HCPs and patients were units of analysis. Sixty-three practices in Madrid, Catalonia, and the Canary Islands were randomly allocated to the intervention or control groups. Randominzation of practices was performed after HCP and patient recruitment. The patients and statistician were anonymized to group allocation; it was not possible to anonymize HCPs. The intervention was a 12-month multicomponent tailored vCoP built on the Web 2.0 concept and focused on skills toward patient empowerment. The primary outcome was Patient-Provider Orientation Scale (PPOS) score at baseline and at 12 months. The secondary outcome was the Patient Activation Measure (PAM) score.

RESULTS

A total of 321 HCPs and 1,921 patients were assessed. The intervention had a positive effect on PPOS total score (0.14 points higher in the vCoP arm; 95% CI, 0.03-0.25; P = .011) and the PPOS Sharing subscale (0.3 points higher in the vCoP arm; 95% CI, 0.15-0.44; P < .001). No effect was found for the PPOS Caring subscale, and no significant differences were found for PAM scores.

CONCLUSIONS

A vCoP led to a minor increase in the PPOS Sharing component and the total score but not in the Caring component. However, considerable uncertainty remains, given the observed attrition and other limitations of the study. Further research is needed on the effectiveness of the vCoP model and on how to improve HCP engagement.VISUAL ABSTRACT.

Assessing attitudes of patient-centered care among chiropractic students at a South African university

OBJECTIVE

Patient-centered care (PCC) is acknowledged globally as a foundation of quality patient care and key to doctor-patient rapport. Student attitudes toward PCC have been assessed in some health professions and some international chiropractic institutions but is lacking in the South African chiropractic student context. This study explores this concept and compares these attitudes to other student groups.

METHODS

A cross-sectional survey was conducted on chiropractic students (years 1, 3, 5, and 6) at a South African institution. The 18-item Patient-Practitioner Orientation Scale (PPOS), with scoring 1-6 on a Likert scale, was used to evaluate the attitude toward PCC by students. Higher scores were representative of more patient-centeredness. Variables were analyzed to assess for associations between variables. Mean PPOS scores were calculated, and reliability and validity were tested using Cronbach α and factor analysis.

RESULTS

There were 100 respondents (68% response rate). The PPOS showed unsatisfactory reliability in our sample. The mean scores for the overall PPOS were 3.64 (SD = 0.46), the sharing subscale was 2.99 (SD = 0.61), and the caring subscale was 4.29 (SD = 0.58). There were small but suggestive trends noticed in PPOS scores based on age, sex, and year of study.

CONCLUSIONS

Chiropractic students from our university showed a general positive tendency toward PCC with no association between age and year of study. Sex showed some suggestive descriptive trends contrary to findings in other studies. The PPOS showed poor reliability in this study, warranting consideration with its use in similar contexts.

Attitudes of medical professionals towards patient-centredness: a cross-sectional study in H City, China

OBJECTIVES

Patient-centred communication improves patient experiences and patient care outcomes. This study aimed to assess the preference of medical professionals in China towards patient-centred communication under the context of the deteriorating doctor-patient relationship.

METHODS

A cross-sectional survey of medical professionals was conducted in January and February 2018 in H City of Heilongjiang province, the northeast of China. The Chinese-Revised Patient-Practitioner Orientation Scale (CR-PPOS) was adopted to measure the individual preference of respondents towards patient-centredness in clinical communication. Multivariate logistic regression models were established to identify the sociodemographic (gender, age, marital status and educational attainment) and work experience (years of working, seniority, satisfaction with income, daily workload and perceived doctor-patient relationship) predictors of the preference towards patient-centredness.

PATIENT AND PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT

Not applicable.

RESULTS

A total of 618 valid questionnaires were returned. The CR-PPOS demonstrated acceptable reliability and validity. Overall, a low level of preference towards patient-centredness in clinical communication was found. Relatively higher scores on 'caring for patients' (20.42±4.42) was found compared with those on 'information/responsibility sharing' (15.26±4.21). Younger age, higher educational attainment, lower daily workload and a perception of harmonious doctor-patient relationship were associated with a higher preference towards patient-centredness in clinical communication.

CONCLUSIONS

A low level of preference towards patient-centredness in clinical communication was found in medical professionals in the northeast of China, which may further jeopardise the efforts to improve doctor-patient relationship.

A short scale for measuring attitudes towards the doctor-patient relationship: psychometric properties and measurement invariance of the German Patient-Practitioner-Orientation Scale (PPOS-D6)

Background

The Patient-Practitioner Orientation Scale (PPOS) was originally developed to compare doctor’s and patient’s consensus regarding patient centeredness. Research assumed PPOS measurements to be comparable across different groups of participants, however, without assessing the actual validity of this assumption. In this study, we investigate the psychometric properties and measurement invariance of a short version of the German translation of the PPOS.

Methods

Based on a cross-sectional survey of N = 332 medical students, we present a short version of the German Patient-Practitioner-Orientation Scale (PPOS-D6) and examine its psychometric properties as well as measurement invariance across participants with varying levels of medical experience and gender using multigroup confirmatory factor analyses.

Results

Results indicate that PPOS-D6 provides valid and reliable measurements of patient-centeredness that are invariant across participants with different medical experience. Preliminary results also suggest invariance across gender.

Conclusion

PPOS-D6 is a suitable and efficient measure to compare group-specific attitudes towards the doctor-patient interaction. Additional research on convergent and discriminant validity and divergent study samples is advised.

Preference for patient-centered communication among the citizens of the Visegrad countries

OBJECTIVES

The aim of the study was to investigate and compare the preferences that citizens of four Visegrad countries hold concerning the communication between patient and provider.

METHODS

The patient-practitioner orientation scale was used on a general population in our research, which consists of the Sharing and Caring subscales and assesses patient-centered or doctor-centered orientation toward communication. The statistical analysis included 4000 respondents of citizens from the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland and Hungary. When comparing the various demographic data and the four countries with each other univariate and multivariate logistic regressions were performed.

RESULTS

Being female, middle aged, having a higher education and a poor health status were associated with significantly higher Sharing and Caring scores. Also, Hungarian citizens had a significantly higher Caring score compared to the other three countries.

CONCLUSIONS

Key demographic variables were identified that affect how citizens perceive the communication between patient and provider. With the exception of Caring among Hungarian citizens, no differences were observed among the Visegrad countries.

PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS

These findings have potential implications for understanding the preferences of the citizens and thus better promote a more patient-centered communication.

Patient-centered communication and emotional well-being in the era of medical violence in China

The past decade has witnessed an increasing number of patient assaults on doctors in China. Patient-centered communication (PCC) may be one way to mitigate this problem. This study examined the effects of PCC and patient trust on emotional health outcome, especially how patients' attitude toward medical violence affected this relationship. Data were drawn from the China Governance and Public Policy Survey administered in 2017 with a sample size of 3784. The results showed that PCC had no direct effect on emotional well-being. Instead, patient trust completely mediated this path. Also, patients' attitude toward medical violence increased the indirect effect of PCC on emotional well-being, suggesting a moderated mediation model. We call for education programs to promote PCC for both providers and patients, mass media campaigns to condemn violence against doctors and stricter law enforcement to stop medical violence.

Patient-Centered Communication Mediates the Relationship between Health Information Acquisition and Patient Trust in Physicians: A Five-Year Comparison in China

Public trust in medical profession has declined in the past decades. The deluge of health information available in various sources may be one contributing factor. However, how the health information acquisition influences patient trust remains unclear. With a general basis of Longo's Health Information Model, we proposed and tested mediation pathways linking three types of health information acquisition behaviors (scanning, seeking, and discussing) to patient trust in physicians, mediated by patient-centered communication. By using two iterations of probability sample surveys conducted in 2012 (N = 2568) and 2017 (N = 3090), respectively, in China, this study found that from 2012 to 2017, health information scanning declined. Specifically, the scanning via traditional media (e.g., newspaper, tv) decreased, but increased in the new media (e.g., Web). Besides, both health information seeking and discussing slumped. Among the three dimensions of health information acquisition, health information scanning and discussing exerted direct effects on patient trust. However, patient-centered communication was found to be mediated the relationships between all three types of health information acquisition and patient trust in physicians over time.

Encouraging Patient Engagement Behaviors from the Perspective of Functional Quality

Despite extensive research on how patient engagement behaviors (PEBs) are facilitated though explicit technical interventions in medical services, research on the encouragement of PEBs from the perspective of the service process is lacking. This study explores how functional quality dimensions (responsiveness, empathy, surroundings, and access) affect PEBs (compliance and loyalty) through a two-channel psychological mechanism (trust and satisfaction). This study tests the proposed model using survey data from two public hospitals in southeastern China and employs the partial least square (PLS) technique of structural equation modeling (SEM) to analyze the data. The results show that service providers’ responsiveness, empathy, and access affect patient compliance and loyalty through patient satisfaction; however, the effect of surroundings is not significant. The responsiveness and empathy of service staff affect PEBs through patient trust. Considering the high-contact professional nature of medical services, we call for more efforts toward improving service processes rather than simply relying on technical interventions. Specifically, hospitals and contact employees should devote time and effort to functional quality management in three dimensions, namely responsiveness, empathy, and access, to secure patient trust and satisfaction.

Cross-cultural validation of the patient-practitioner orientation scale among primary care professionals in Spain

BACKGROUND

In recent decades, many self-report instruments have been developed to assess the extent to which patients want to be informed and involved in decisions about their health as part of the concept of person-centred care (PCC). The main objective of this research was to translate, adapt and validate the Patient-Practitioner Orientation Scale (PPOS) using a sample of primary care health-care professionals in Spain.

METHODS

Baseline analysis of PPOS scores for 321 primary care professionals (general practitioners and nurses) from 63 centres and 3 Spanish regions participating in a randomized controlled trial. We analysed missing values, distributions and descriptive statistics, item-to-scale correlations and internal consistency. Performed were confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) of the 2-factor model (sharing and caring dimensions), scale depuration and principal component analysis (PCA).

RESULTS

Low inter-item correlations were observed, and the CFA 2-factor model only obtained a good fit to the data after excluding 8 items. Internal consistency of the 10-item PPOS was acceptable (0.77), but low for individual subscales (0.70 and 0.55). PCA results suggest a possible 3-factor structure. Participants showed a patient-oriented style (mean = 4.46, SD = 0.73), with higher scores for caring than sharing.

CONCLUSION

Although the 2-factor model obtained empirical support, measurement indicators of the PPOS (caring dimension) could be improved. Spanish primary care health-care professionals overall show a patient-oriented attitude, although less marked in issues such as patients' need for and management of medical information.

Clinico-Psychosocial Factors Predicting Hepatocellular Carcinoma Related Knowledge Among Patients with Chronic Liver Disease

Regular clinical surveillance for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) among high-risk patients could lead to early detection and cure. Patient's knowledge and attitude are important to the uptake rate of this surveillance. This study is aimed at assessing the level of HCC-related knowledge among patients with chronic liver disease (CLD) who are at risk of HCC and determine predictors for poor knowledge. A cross-sectional study was conducted among inpatients with CLD at the Third People's Hospital of Kunming in China. Questionnaires were used to measure patient's sociodemographic characteristics, HCC-related knowledge, and patient-doctor-related psychometric factors. Factor analysis was performed to explore the underlying domains captured by the knowledge questionnaire. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to identify independent predictors for each domain. Three common factors were derived from the exploratory factor analysis, namely, "Surveillance," "Lifestyle," and "Prognosis." Patients with low educational background and a short period of having CLD were at a significantly low level of HCC-related knowledge of all three domains. On the other hand, surveillance and lifestyle but not prognosis, were associated with patient's communication confidence with doctors. Over two-thirds of high-risk patients had low knowledge of HCC. Medical providers should pay more attention to low educational groups and newly diagnosed CLD patients.

Do Physicians' Attitudes towards Patient-Centered Communication Promote Physicians' Intention and Behavior of Involving Patients in Medical Decisions?

Promoting patient-centered communication among physicians is one core strategy for improving physician-patient relationships and patient outcomes. Our study aims to understand the physicians' attitudes towards patient-centered communication and its effects on physicians' intention and behavior of involving patients in medical decisions in primary care in China. One cross-sectional study was conducted in primary facilities in Hubei province, China, from December 2019 to January 2020, where physicians' attitudes towards patient-centered communication were measured by the Chinese-revised patient-practitioner orientation scale. Multilevel ordinal logistic regression was conducted for estimating the effects of physicians' attitudes on their intention and behavior of patient involvement in medical decisions. Six hundred and seventeen physicians were investigated for the main study. Physicians had a medium score of patient-centered communication (3.78, SD = 0.56), with relatively high caring subscale score (4.59, SD = 0.64), and low sharing subscale score (3.09, SD = 0.75). After controlling physicians' covariates, physicians' attitudes towards patient-centered communication was significantly associated with a higher intention of involving patients in medical decisions (OR > 1, p = 0.020). Physicians' positive attitudes towards patient-centered communication affected their intention of involving patients in medical decisions, which implies the importance of taking the physicians' attitudes into account for the accomplishment of patient involvement processes.

Gender differences on medical students' attitudes toward patient-centred care: a cross-sectional survey conducted in Heilongjiang, China

OBJECTIVES

Assessing medical students' attitudes toward patient-centred care is essential to bettering medical education. Based on doctor-patient relationships and the medical system in China, it is important to explore the impact of gender differences and other background factors on patient-centred attitudes and to provide references for medical education reform.

METHODS

A cross-sectional study was conducted on fourth-year medical undergraduate students from November 2017 to March 2018 in Heilongjiang Province, Northeast China. The Chinese-revised Patient-Practitioner Orientation Scale (CR-PPOS), which has been validated in previous research, was used to measure the medical students' attitudes. The medical students' demographic data was collected, including their gender, age, information on whether they have siblings, family residence location, doctor(s) for parents, year in which the student first experienced clinical practice, and student category.

RESULTS

A total of 513 students (91.12%) completed the survey. The Chinese medical students scored considerably higher for 'Caring' (including patients' preferences into the decision-making process) than for 'Sharing' (sharing information/responsibility with patients). These students tended to have patient-centred attitudes, as measured by an average overall CR-PPOS score of 3.63 (scores higher than 3.5 indicate patient-centred attitudes), which is higher than Malian (3.38) and Pakistani (3.40) medical students but lower than American (4.57) and Brazilian (4.66) students. Female students (P < 0.05) were significantly associated with more patient-centred attitudes and with higher 'Sharing' and 'Caring' subscale scores. Student category (P < 0.05) was associated with 'Sharing' and 'Caring' scores. Clinical hospital students (P < 0.05) were associated with more patient-centred attitudes and with higher 'Sharing' and 'Caring' subscale scores, Students without siblings (p < 0.07) were associated with the higher 'Sharing' subscale scores.

CONCLUSIONS

In China, gender has a significant impact on medical students' patient-centred attitudes, which is similar to findings from other countries. If medical schools want to raise patient-centred attitudes across the board and bridge the gap between male and female patient-centred attitudes, gender, student category, and other factors should be incorporated into medical education.

Attitudes Toward Patient-Centered Care in the Mental Care Services in Isfahan, Iran

Understanding patient-physician relationships in mental care services is an indispensable element to improve the quality of mental care, yet little is known about it in Iran. This study measured the attitudes of the patients' family and personal caregivers (FPCs) and psychiatrists toward patient-centered care. A sample of 88 FPCs of mental patients and 29 psychiatrists in four teaching hospitals of Isfahan city, Iran, providing mental care, were asked to complete the patient-practitioner orientation scale (PPOS). Results showed mean scores of PPOS, sharing and caring for the psychiatrists were 3.4, 3.8, and 3.1, compared to 3.9, 4.2, and 3.7 for the mental patients' FPCs. There was a significant difference between the PPOS mean scores of the FPC and psychiatrist groups (p < 0.05) indicating that psychiatrists' attitudes were less patient-centered. Developing medical training interventions, establishing communication skills workshops, and increasing patients' awareness are some approaches to address the low level of patient-centered care.

How is patient-centred care addressed in women's health? A theoretical rapid review

PURPOSE

Efforts are needed to reduce gendered inequities and improve health and well-being for women. Patient-centred care (PCC), an approach that informs and engages patients in their own health, is positively associated with improved care delivery, experiences and outcomes. This study aimed to describe how PCC for women (PCCW) has been conceptualised in research.

METHODS

We conducted a theoretical rapid review of PCCW in four health conditions. We searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, SCOPUS, Cochrane Library and Joanna Briggs index for English-language articles published from January 2008 to February 2018 inclusive that investigated PCC and involved at least 50% women aged 18 or older. We analysed findings using a six-domain PCC framework, and reported findings with summary statistics and narrative descriptions.

RESULTS

After screening 2872 unique search results, we reviewed 51 full-text articles, and included 14 (five family planning, three preventive care, four depression, one cardiovascular disease and one rehabilitation). Studies varied in how they assessed PCC. None examined all six PCC framework domains; least evaluated domains were addressing emotions, managing uncertainty and enabling self-management. Seven studies that investigated PCC outcomes found a positive association with appropriate health service use, disease remission, health self-efficacy and satisfaction with care. Differing views about PCC between patients and physicians, physician PCC attitudes and geographic affluence influenced PCC. No studies evaluated the influence of patient characteristics or tested interventions to support PCCW.

CONCLUSION

There is a paucity of research that has explored or evaluated PCCW in the conditions of interest. We excluded many studies because they arbitrarily labelled many topics as PCC, or simply concluded that PCC was needed. More research is needed to fully conceptualise and describe PCCW across different characteristics and conditions, and to test interventions that improve PCCW. Policies and incentives may also be needed to stimulate greater awareness and delivery of PCCW.