Cross-Cultural Comparison of the Patient Centeredness of the ‘‘Hidden Curriculum’’ in a Saudi Arabian and U.S. Medical Schools

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Year: 2009
Author(s): Al Bawardy, R., Blatt, B., Al-Shohaib, S. & Simmens, S.J.
Book/Journal: Medical Education Online
Volume and Page Info: Vol. 14, pp.1-6
Type: Journal
Topics:
Medical Professionalism and Cultural Safety
Publisher: Medical Education Online
Abstract
Background: The implicit ‘‘hidden curriculum’’ strongly influences medical students’ perceptions of the importance of patient-centeredness. A new instrument, the Communication, Curriculum, and Culture Survey (C3), already used to assess this hard-to- access part of the curriculum in the US, has potential for use in cross-cultural comparisons. Objective: To use the C3 to perform a pilot cross-cultural comparison of the patient-centeredness of the hidden curriculum between a Saudi medical school and 9 U.S. medical schools. Design: Senior Saudi medical students completed the C3 and a second instrument, the Patient- Provider Orientation Scale (PPOS), which measured their attitudes toward patient-centered behavior. Participants: Senior Saudi medical students. Results: 139/256 (54%) Saudis completed the C3; 122/256 (48%) completed the PPOS. Means for 2 out of 3 of the C3’s domains (0-100 scale) were lower for the Saudis than those for the Americans (95% confidence intervals in parentheses): 47 (45, 50) vs. 55 (53, 58); 54 (50, 58) vs. 68 (67, 70); they overlapped in the third: 60 (57, 63) vs. 62 (60, 63). The mean Saudi PPOS score was 4.0 (3.9, 4.1); for the American medical schools, 4.8 (4.8-4.8) (1-6, least to most patient-centered). Conclusions: In this preliminary study the data suggest that the patient-centeredness of the hidden curriculum differs in Saudi and US medical schools in 2 out of 3 domains. Cross-cultural use of instruments such as the C3 can highlight such important differences and help educators evaluate their curricula from an international, as well as a local perspective. Use of instruments across borders is a growing trend and an indicator of the increasing globalization of medical education.