Medical chaperoning at a tertiary care hospital in Saudi Arabia: survey of physicians.

Medical chaperoning at a tertiary care hospital in Saudi Arabia: survey of physicians.

Al-Gaai, E.A.
Hammami, M.M.

2009/12/00

English

20091200

BACKGROUND: Medical chaperones (MC) are underutilised. The influence of Islamic culture on the use of MC is not known. AIM: To examine physicians' use and perception of MC in Islamic culture. SETTING: A major tertiary care hospital in Saudi Arabia. METHODS: 315 self-administered questionnaires were distributed to attendees of grand rounds of 13 departments. RESULTS: 186 (59%) questionnaires were completed. 64.5% of the respondents were 30-49 years old, 75.8% were men and 31.2% were in training

79% had a clinic load of under 50 patients per week and 47.8% had postgraduate training (PGT) in an Islamic country. MC were reported to be infrequently (< or =25% of the time) used by 44.1% (69.2% female vs 39% male physicians, p = 0.001; 58.6% in training vs 36.8% attending, p = 0.007; 52.1% PGT in Islamic vs 35.6% in western countries, p = 0.027), offered by 52.7% (78.9% female vs 46.8% male physicians, p<0.001) and requested by 79% of patients. MC were reported to be commonly (>75% of the time) used, offered by physicians and requested by patients by 38.2%, 29% and 7.5% of respondents, respectively. The most frequently cited reasons for not using MC were privacy/confidentiality (36.6%) and understaffing (30.5%). Equal numbers of respondents perceived MC use as a protection for physicians or patients (67.7% and 65.6%, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: MC are underutilised even in Islamic culture, especially among female physicians. Training in western countries is favourably associated with MC use. Underutilisation appears to be related to privacy/confidentiality, understaffing and failure of patients to request a MC.

8.1

8.1;1.2;8.4;21.7;7.2;9.5.5;10

Journal of Medical Ethics 2009 December; 35(12): 729-32

ja

journal

em

1473-4257