General population and medical student perceptions of good and bad doctors in Mozambique

• Published in: Education for health (Abingdon, England) England), 2011-04, Vol.24 (1), p.387-387
• Main Authors: Pfeiffer, Annett, Noden, Bruce H, Walker, Zoë A, Aarts, Rembrant, Ferro, Josefo
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Acquired immune deficiency syndrome; Adolescent; Adult; AIDS; Communication Skills; Communication skills training; Community; Community Relations; Continuing education; Developing countries; Discrimination; Education; Family Attitudes; Feedback (Response); Female; Health care industry; Health Programs; Health sciences; Health services; Humans; Informal economy; Institutional Research; Interviews; Interviews as Topic; LDCs; Learning; Male; Medical education; Medical schools; Medical students; Medicine; Mozambique; Neighborhoods; Patient-centered care; Patients; Perceptions; Physician patient relationships; Physicians; Physicians - standards; Public Health; Public Opinion; Quality of care; Questionnaires; Social sciences; Students; Students, Medical; Tropical diseases; Values; Young Adult
• ISSN: 1357-6283; 1469-5804
• DOI: 10.4103/1357-6283.101464

A key element of the doctor-patient relationship is to understand the patient's and doctor's perceptions of quality care. To assess the perceptions of good and bad doctors among first-year medical students and local community members in a semi-urban, African settings. Using open-ended and closed dichotomous questions, 115 first-year medical students in Beira, Mozambique were surveyed regarding their perceptions of a 'good' and 'bad' doctor. Students then surveyed 611 community members in a predominately poor, semi-urban neighbourhood. Answers to open-ended questions provided by both groups produced the same four most important positive characteristics, with good diagnostic and therapeutic skills and dedication ranked highest. Closed-ended questions revealed that local community members felt that being concerned/considerate and diagnosing well were equally important (19.5% and 17.5%, respectively) compared to students (17.5% and 41.2%, respectively). The most important negative characteristics to the open-ended question for both groups were discrimination and contemptuous behaviour: 29.3% for community members and 27.4% for medical students. The biggest difference between groups was poor attending skills: 17.3% by community members and 3.9% by medical students. This study highlights differences and similarities between the perceptions of medical students and community members concerning a 'good' and a 'bad' doctor. Our data suggest that perceptions are guided by the experiences and values of those interviewed. Results indicate that medical education in developing countries should focus on patient-centered care, including communication skills and attitudes, besides training knowledgeable doctors.