Perceptions, attitudes, and satisfaction concerning resident participation in health care among dermatology outpatients.

Background:A limited number of published studies have discussed patient attitudes toward resident physicians' participation in dermatology clinics. A literature search failed to identify any such study in the Middle East.Objective:The aim of this study was to explore patient perceptions and attitudes toward resident participation in dermatology outpatient clinics.Methods:A self-administered questionnaire focused on patient attitudes toward dermatology resident participation was distributed randomly to all adult outpatients attending dermatology clinics at a university hospital in Saudi Arabia between July and September 2010.Results:The questionnaire was returned by 742 of 900 patients, for an 82% response rate. The mean patient age was 30.58 ± 11.67 years. Forty-two percent (311 of 742) of the respondents were male. The major reason for visiting the hospital was a medical dermatology consultation (80.4%). Only 35% of the patients self-reported an accurate understanding of the “resident” designation. In to...