The Effects of Clinical Rounds on Patients in Internal Wards of Hospitals Affiliated to Isfahan University of Medical Sciences: The Viewpoints of Clinical Care Team

Introduction: Clinical rounds as one of the clinical teaching methods, may cause adverse effects on patients and the medical team is able to report such problems. The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of clinical rounds on patients from medical teams' points of view. Methods: This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted on 150 members of clinical care team including clerkship and internship students and nurses who were selected through convenient sampling method in educational hospitals affiliated to Isfahan Medical University. A questionnaire containing demo-graphic features, items asking the medical team's viewpoint about the method of running medical rounds, the list of events experienced by the patient, and medical team opinions regarding the patients' feelings toward the manner of clinical round was distributed as self-administered. The data was analyzed by SPSS software using frequency distribution, mean and standard deviation, and the comparisons were made by ANOVA. Results: The medical team believed that patients had the most satisfaction from performing procedures by interns and residents, precision and follow up in therapeutic affairs, general outcome of hospitalization, and the duration of visits. Their least satisfaction was about the number of examiners, the duration of patient's encounter with the main physician, explanation about the disease and taking the patient’s opinion into account in decision making. Conclusion: Based on the medical team's opinion, the current method of clinical rounds may cause dissatis-faction in patients and result in undesirable consequences. Revision and reforming the current situation of rounds can lead to the improvement of this process.