Patients’ Perception and Residents’ Self-evaluation of the Communication Skills of Obstetrics and Gynecology Residents

Abstract

The objective of this study was to assess the patients’ perceptions of the communication skills of obstetrics and gynecology residents, highlighting areas where these skills could be improved, and comparing the patient perceptions with the residents’ self-evaluation. This was a cross-sectional study, conducted in King Abdulaziz Medical City in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Data were collected from patients attending the obstetrics and gynecology clinics and consulted with a resident. The required study sample was collected within a 3-month period. The Arabic translated and validated version of the Communication Assessment Tool (CAT) was used. A total of 179 patients completed the CAT. The mean age of the participants was 32 years. The mean time spent with a resident in the consultation was 22.1 ± 11.8 min, and the mean percentage of an excellent rating was 79.67%. The item most frequently rated as excellent was “Treated me with respect” (89.5%). The item rated least frequently as excellent was “Involved me in decisions as much as I wanted” (72.1%). Comparing training levels, there were no significant difference found in the overall percentage of items rated as excellent or for the items of the CAT (p = 0.406). The time spent with patients was also not significant (p = 0.069). The overall mean percentage of items rated by the residents as “excellent” was 69.91%, lower than the patients’ perception. The finding of the study is considered a benchmark for obstetrics and gynecology residency programs to compare their performance with other centers.

Keywords

• Communication
• residency
• obstetrics and gynecology
• physician–patient relations
• Saudi Arabia