The presence of medical students in practice consultations: rates of patient consent

Objective: To measure the frequency of nonconsent encountered by medical students and describe the influence of gender. Method: An observational study of general practice teaching consultations. Results: Subjects: 63 students (40% female), 67 general practitioners (30% female), and 2572 patients (56% female). Outcome: 3.4% of all patients (79% female) did not give consent (4.6% for male students; 1.6% for female; OR = 3.0, 95% CI 1.7-5.3). The rates of nonconsent did not vary between age groups for men but occurred mainly in the 15-44 years age group for women. Male students encountered more nonconsenting female patients than female students, particularly in consultations with female GPs. Conclusion: Consent to allow medical students to be present in general practice consultations is usually provided. It is typically declined for male students by young women attending women doctors. (author abstract)