Patients′ Appreciation of Pre-Clinical Student Performance in Primary Healthcare Centres in Indonesia

Introduction: In Indonesia, primary healthcare (PHC) centres are among the eligible institutions to provide ′early clinical experiences′ (ECE) for pre-clinical medical students. This study explored whether patients of PHC centres would accept third-year pre-clinical students practicing clinical skills with them. Methods: Immediately after being seen by a pre-clinical student - supervised by a general physician - 76 patients of PHC centres participated in a structured, eight-question interview. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and coded to collate and interpret answers to the questions. Results: Most of the patients were satisfied with the clinical performance of their pre-clinical student. Negative comments regarding some students addressed lack of confidence, being nervous, unable to provide satisfactory explanation and education and failure to speak the local language. Some patients suggested more practice for these students in PHC centres. Conclusion: Patients in Indonesian PHC centres generally appreciated health services provided by pre-clinical medical students; no significant objections were recorded. This supports the suitability of these PHC centres to offer ECE for pre-clinical students.