Experiences of volunteer patients during undergraduate examinations: printed information can lead to greater satisfaction

Background  Whilst most patients are happy to participate in medical examinations, previous studies have shown that some are dissatisfied with the information that they receive beforehand. Objectives  To demonstrate that patient satisfaction can be improved by the provision of written information. M...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Medical education 1999-03, Vol.33 (3), p.165-169
Main Authors: Welfare, M R, Price, C I, Han, S W, Barton, J R
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Education
Education, measurement, methods
Education, Medical, Undergraduate - methods
Educational Measurement - methods
Humans
measurement
medical
methods
Patient Simulation
Surveys and Questionnaires
undergraduate
Citations: Items that cite this one
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Summary:Background  Whilst most patients are happy to participate in medical examinations, previous studies have shown that some are dissatisfied with the information that they receive beforehand. Objectives  To demonstrate that patient satisfaction can be improved by the provision of written information. Methods  Thirty‐seven patients attending the final MBBS examination were sent written information about what to expect. The patients' experiences were assessed by means of an anonymous postal questionnaire 1 week after the examination. Their satisfaction with the level of information received beforehand was compared with that of an historical cohort who had received no written information Results  The patients had few complaints about their experience of participating in examinations and many enjoyed it. Only 5% of patients registered dissatisfaction with the level of information that was provided, compared with 18% in the previous study (P = 0·077). Conclusions  Written information led to a (near significant) improvement in patients satisfaction when compared to a previous cohort. We recommend that all patients attending for medical examinations should be provided with written information.
ISSN:0308-0110
1365-2923
DOI:10.1046/j.1365-2923.1999.00279.x