Centre for Clinical Studies and Empirical Ethics (CCSEE), King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre, Riyadh 11211, Saudi Arabia.
J Med Ethics. 2009 Dec;35(12):729-32. doi: 10.1136/jme.2009.030163.
Medical chaperones (MC) are underutilised. The influence of Islamic culture on the use of MC is not known.
To examine physicians' use and perception of MC in Islamic culture.
A major tertiary care hospital in Saudi Arabia.
315 self-administered questionnaires were distributed to attendees of grand rounds of 13 departments.
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).
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.
医疗陪同员（MC）的利用率较低。伊斯兰文化对 MC 使用的影响尚不清楚。
检查医生在伊斯兰文化中使用 MC 的情况和看法。
沙特阿拉伯一家主要的三级保健医院。
向 13 个科室的大查房参加者分发了 315 份自填式问卷。
完成了 186 份（59%）问卷。75.8%的答卷者为男性，31.2%处于培训中；79%的人每周看诊少于 50 个病人，47.8%在伊斯兰教国家接受过研究生培训（PGT）。44.1%（女性占 69.2%，男性占 39%，p=0.001；培训中占 58.6%，主治医生中占 36.8%，p=0.007；在伊斯兰教国家接受 PGT 的占 52.1%，在西方国家接受 PGT 的占 35.6%，p=0.027）的答卷者报告 MC 的使用频率较低（≤25%），52.7%（女性占 78.9%，男性占 46.8%，p<0.001）的答卷者报告 MC 是由医生提供的，79%的答卷者报告 MC 是由病人要求的。38.2%、29%和 7.5%的答卷者报告 MC 的使用频率较高（>75%），由医生提供，由病人要求。不使用 MC 的最常见原因是保护隐私/保密性（36.6%）和人手不足（30.5%）。同样数量的答卷者认为使用 MC 是保护医生或病人的一种方式（分别为 67.7%和 65.6%）。
即使在伊斯兰文化中，MC 的利用率也较低，尤其是在女医生中。在西方国家接受培训与 MC 的使用呈正相关。MC 的利用率较低可能与隐私/保密性、人手不足和病人未要求 MC 有关。
