Would you consent to being examined by a medical student? Western Australian general public survey

Background: Patients generally have positive attitudes regarding being examined by a supervised medical student as part of their medical care. However, it is difficult to obtain model patients for students to examine purely for teaching purposes (i.e. in the absence of medical treatment). Aims: This study explored the effects of participants' demographics, characteristics of medical students, and the type of examination/procedure on whether individuals would consent to be examined by a medical student purely for teaching purposes. Method: Four-hundred-and-two Western Australians completed an online survey in 2009. Results: Individuals were generally unconcerned regarding a medical student's gender and ethnicity. However, they would either not permit or wanted more advanced medical students to examine more intimate body regions and conduct more invasive procedures. Less observing medical students were permitted to be present for intimate examinations. Individuals who were male, aged >= 25 years, Caucasian, and of no religious affiliation were more likely to permit formative year medical students to examine and conduct procedures on them. Additionally, these individuals were more likely to have had prior experience with a medical student and/or been hospitalised previously. Conclusions: This information may be useful in terms of recruiting patient models for teaching purposes.