Patients’ Attitudes Toward the Involvement of Medical Students in Their Health Care in the Family Medicine Clinics in the Makkah Region, Saudi Arabia

Background The medical undergraduates in the College of Medicine at Umm Al-Qura University, Saudi Arabia, are dedicated to undergrad training in family health facilities. Throughout this clinical attachment, students receive instructions in family practice, patient management, communication skills, clinical examination, and history-taking. Objectives This study was conducted to assess patients' attitudes and key contributing variables toward having medical students participate in their health care consultations in family medicine clinics in the Makkah region of Saudi Arabia. Methods A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted on a sample of 529 patients who attended family medicine clinics in primary health care settings and were living in the Makkah region. The researchers collected the relevant data during a three-month period (from February 1 to the end of April 2023) by administering a validated, well-structured, self-administered online survey of 24 items on several electronic platforms and analyzing it with SPSS Version 23. Results The mean of their answers on attitude was found to be 41.6 ± 8.51, suggesting a positive attitude of the patients toward the involvement of medical students in their health care. Around 150 (28.4%) of the participants strongly agreed that medical students obtained their histories, and 119 (22.5%) strongly agreed that medical students performed clinical examinations for them. Around 104 (19.7) of the participants strongly agreed and 140 (26.5) perceived that the involvement of medical students in their health care improves doctors’ competence. Being 56 years old or older, widowed, retired, or having chronic diseases were found to be associated with a more positive attitude of the patients toward the involvement of medical students in their health care, with p-values of 0.024, 0.034, 0.009, and 0.005, respectively. Conclusions Patients showed favorable attitudes toward the existence and participation of medical students in their health care in family medicine clinics. The provision of health-related information and the taking of a detailed history were the most notable benefits of medical students’ involvement in patient care, according to most of the patients. Older, widowed, retired, and those with chronic diseases seemed to possess a positive attitude toward the engagement of medical students in their health care in the family medicine clinics.