Background: A limited number of published studies have discussed patient attitudes toward resident physicians' participation in dermatology clinics. A literature search failed to identify any such study in the Middle East.
Objective: The aim of this study was to explore patient perceptions and attitudes toward resident participation in dermatology outpatient clinics.
Methods: A self-administered questionnaire focused on patient attitudes toward dermatology resident participation was distributed randomly to all adult outpatients attending dermatology clinics at a university hospital in Saudi Arabia between July and September 2010.
Results: The questionnaire was returned by 742 of 900 patients, for an 82% response rate. The mean patient age was 30.58 ± 11.67 years. Forty-two percent (311 of 742) of the respondents were male. The major reason for visiting the hospital was a medical dermatology consultation (80.4%). Only 35% of the patients self-reported an accurate understanding of the "resident" designation. In total, 86.4% of patients were satisfied with the residents' behavior. Furthermore, 98.4% of the patients were satisfied with the medical care provided by the residents. The patients agreed with resident participation in their health care. The majority of the patients expressed their willingness to provide a medical history and receive counseling from residents (87.6% and 86.3%, respectively). There was no gender-associated effect on the understanding of the resident position or the decision to receive a physical examination by a resident.
Conclusion: Dermatology outpatients are satisfied and have positive perceptions and attitudes toward resident participation in the dermatology clinic.