Patient-Centeredness of Hidden Curriculum in Medical Education

Background: A significant gap exists between patient-centered health policies and medical graduates’ practice. Medical education is not restricted to the formal curriculum. The hidden curriculum has a powerful effect on students’ learning and behavior. This study measured the patient-centeredness of the hidden curriculum in Mashhad Medical School. Methods: The participants were medical students at Mashhad Medical School who were about to graduate. The sample size was determined 100 students based on the Morgan table and selected in a convenient method. The validated Persian version of the Haidet instrument with three content areas of “role modeling, student’s experiences and support for students’ patient-centered actions” was used to evaluate the patient-centeredness of the hidden curriculum. Descriptive indexes and Independent samples T-Test were used for analysis. Results: The mean±SD score of patient-centeredness of the hidden curriculum was 54.9±9.4, slightly more than half of the total questionnaire score. The area of "support for students' patient-centered actions" received a higher mean±SD score (62.1±16.5) compared to role modeling (53.9±12.3) and student experiences (53.6±9.4). Additionally, medical students emphasized the professor's role in acquiring patient-centered care. Conclusion: Despite the formal education for patient-centeredness, students learn mainly from the practical environment and their educators’ behaviors. There was a relative dissonance between the formal and implicit curriculum regarding patient-centeredness associated with the medical student. The medical students’ experiences regarding patient-centered manners and giving encouraging feedback are two chief points for improving patient-centeredness.