J Audiol Otol.  2016 Sep;20(2):73-79. 10.7874/jao.2016.20.2.73.

Preferences to Patient-Centeredness in Pre-Service Speech and Hearing Sciences Students: A Cross-Sectional Study

• Dockens AL
• Bellon-Harn ML
• Manchaiah

• KMID: 2351558
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.7874/jao.2016.20.2.73

Abstract

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES
Patient-centeredness is a critical approach to rehabilitation in allied health professions and is an imperative component of evidence-based practice. However, it is unknown if patient-centeredness is valued by students enrolled in allied health. This study was aimed at determining preferences to patient-centeredness in pre-service speech and hearing students in the field of speech and hearing sciences.
SUBJECTS AND METHODS
Pre-service speech and hearing students (n=93) completed the Patient-Practitioner Orientation Scale (PPOS) and were grouped according to low, medium, or high exposure to curriculum content.
RESULTS
Across exposure levels, students exhibited high preference to patient centeredness with a mean PPOS score of 4.13 (standard deviation-0.5). A pairedsample t-test revealed a significant difference (p≤0.0001) between the caring and sharing subscales of the PPOS with lower mean scores on the caring subscale. No significant differences were noted across levels of exposure for sharing subscale, caring subscale, or PPOS full-scale.
CONCLUSIONS
Results suggest a need for curriculum enhancement focused on improved caring and empathy.

Keyword

Patient-centeredness; Patient-centered care; Audiology; Speech language pathology; Speech and hearing science; Hearing healthcare; Education

MeSH Terms

Audiology
Cross-Sectional Studies*
Curriculum
Education
Empathy
Evidence-Based Practice
Health Occupations
Hearing*
Humans
Patient-Centered Care
Rehabilitation
Speech-Language Pathology