Patients’ Attitudes Towards Bedside Teaching in Iran

Background: Bedside teaching (BST) is a crucial component of the clinical skills training program for medical students, where patients are used as educational examples. Understanding patients’ attitudes toward BST is essential for making informed choices and enhancing quality. Objectives: The present study aimed to investigate the attitudes of hospitalized patients toward various aspects of BST. Methods: A cross-sectional study was coanducted involving 250 patients admitted to Shahid Beheshti Hospital in Kashan, Iran. Patients’ attitudes toward BST and influencing factors were assessed using a translated and validated version of the Marwan Questionnaire. Results: The highest level of dissatisfaction was observed with diagnostic or therapeutic procedures performed without the supervising professor (19.4%), while the lowest dissatisfaction was with students reviewing medical records (5.1%). Women expressed significantly more dissatisfaction than men regarding examinations conducted without a teacher and diagnostic and therapeutic procedures, both with and without a teacher present. Conversely, men were more opposed to students’ presence in outpatient clinics (23.8% vs. 5.4%, P < 0.001) and during surgeries (12.7% vs. 4.5%, P = 0.04) compared to women. Conclusions: Overall, patients generally accept the presence of students, irrespective of gender, and the presence of a supervising professor enhances patients’ willingness to participate in BST.