Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40797271›Full record

ArticleIsrael journal of health policy research2025

Policy implications of physicians' attitudes towards being examined by medical students.

Ruth Kannai, Tamar Freud, Tsafnat Test, Roni Peleg

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Israel journal of health policy research, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors.

Ruth KannaiSiaal Research Center for Family Medicine and Primary care, Department of Family Medicine, The Haim Doron Division of Community Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, POB 653, Beer-Sheva, 8410501, Israel. rkannai@gmail.com.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-8049-6883
Tamar FreudSiaal Research Center for Family Medicine and Primary care, Department of Family Medicine, The Haim Doron Division of Community Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, POB 653, Beer-Sheva, 8410501, Israel.
Tsafnat TestSiaal Research Center for Family Medicine and Primary care, Department of Family Medicine, The Haim Doron Division of Community Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, POB 653, Beer-Sheva, 8410501, Israel.
Roni PelegSiaal Research Center for Family Medicine and Primary care, Department of Family Medicine, The Haim Doron Division of Community Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, POB 653, Beer-Sheva, 8410501, Israel.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundPhysicians who become patients-especially those involved in teaching-hold a dual perspective that may influence their comfort with medical student involvement in their care. Understanding these attitudes is essential for shaping medical education policies related to consent, patient assignment, and professional boundaries. This study explored Israeli family physicians' willingness to be examined by medical students and examined implications for clinical teaching policy.

methodsA cross-sectional survey was conducted among Israeli family physicians during June-July 2024. A total of 149 participants completed a structured questionnaire assessing their comfort with students observing, taking medical histories, and performing physical, intimate, and invasive examinations. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and chi-square tests to compare subgroups by gender, age, and teaching status.

resultsAmong the 149 respondents (mean age 47.2 years; 65.1% female), 92.6% were comfortable with students observing non-intimate exams, but only 29.5% agreed to student presence during intimate exams. Comfort increased slightly if the student was of the same gender (48.3%), but overall acceptance remained low. Female physicians were significantly less willing than males to undergo physical exams by students (63.5% vs. 88.2%; p = 0.006) and were more uncomfortable with male students performing intimate exams (48% vs. 28.1%; p = 0.014). Physicians aged ≤ 45 were less willing to student observation than those aged ≥ 46 (61.0% vs. 42.3%; p = 0.033). Only 16.8% agreed to allow students to perform invasive procedures. Interestingly, teaching physicians were significantly less likely than non-teachers to agree to student presence during intimate exams (29.7% vs. 51.6%; p = 0.018).

conclusionsWhile student involvement in non-invasive care is widely accepted, substantial discomfort persists with intimate and invasive scenarios-particularly among female and teaching physicians. These findings raise ethical and educational concerns. Institutions should consider: (1) Allowing physician-patients to opt out of student involvement without stigma; (2) Implementing real-time, standardized informed consent for all patients, including physicians; (3) Creating clear guidelines on teacher-student dynamics in clinical care.

Indexed as

Attitude of Health PersonnelPhysical ExaminationPhysiciansStudents, MedicalAdultCross-Sectional StudiesFemaleHumansIsraelMaleMiddle AgedSurveys and QuestionnairesClinical teaching assignments.Family physiciansInformed consentMedical education policyPhysician-patientsProfessional boundaries

Identifiers

PMID40797271
PMCPMC12344858

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.