Medical chaperoning at a tertiary care hospital in Saudi Arabia: survey of physicians.
BACKGROUND
Medical chaperones (MC) are underutilised. The influence of Islamic culture on the use of MC is not known.


OBJECTIVE
To examine physicians' use and perception of MC in Islamic culture.


METHODS
A major tertiary care hospital in Saudi Arabia.


METHODS
315 self-administered questionnaires were distributed to attendees of grand rounds of 13 departments.


RESULTS
186 (59%) questionnaires were completed. 64.5% of the respondents were 30-49 years old, 75.8% were men and 31.2% were in training; 79% had a clinic load of under 50 patients per week and 47.8% had postgraduate training (PGT) in an Islamic country. MC were reported to be infrequently (< or =25% of the time) used by 44.1% (69.2% female vs 39% male physicians, p = 0.001; 58.6% in training vs 36.8% attending, p = 0.007; 52.1% PGT in Islamic vs 35.6% in western countries, p = 0.027), offered by 52.7% (78.9% female vs 46.8% male physicians, p<0.001) and requested by 79% of patients. MC were reported to be commonly (>75% of the time) used, offered by physicians and requested by patients by 38.2%, 29% and 7.5% of respondents, respectively. The most frequently cited reasons for not using MC were privacy/confidentiality (36.6%) and understaffing (30.5%). Equal numbers of respondents perceived MC use as a protection for physicians or patients (67.7% and 65.6%, respectively).


CONCLUSIONS
MC are underutilised even in Islamic culture, especially among female physicians. Training in western countries is favourably associated with MC use. Underutilisation appears to be related to privacy/confidentiality, understaffing and failure of patients to request a MC.
Al-Gaai
E A
EA
Centre for Clinical Studies and Empirical Ethics (CCSEE), King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre, Riyadh 11211, Saudi Arabia.
Hammami
M M
MM
D000328:Adult; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel / Q000208:ethnology; D005260:Female; D019983:Guideline Adherence; D006801:Humans; D007514:Islam / Q000523:psychology*; D008297:Male; D008505:Medical Staff, Hospital / Q000941:ethics / Q000523:psychology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009741:Nursing Staff, Hospital / Q000941:ethics / Q000523:psychology*; D010354:Patient Escort Service / Q000523:psychology; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations / Q000941:ethics*; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians'; D012068:Religion and Medicine; D012529:Saudi Arabia; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires