Second-year Italian medical students' attitudes toward care of the dying patient: an exploratory study

J Cancer Educ. 2012 Dec;27(4):759-63. doi: 10.1007/s13187-012-0382-8.

Abstract

To our knowledge, no other study has investigated Italian medical students' attitudes toward care of the dying patient. The purpose of this study is to investigate those attitudes among second-year Italian medical students. Two-hundred students completed the Italian version of the Frommelt Attitude Toward Care of the Dying Scale form B (FATCOD Form B). Students obtained a mean total score on FATCOD Form B of 112.8 (the possible total score ranges from 30 to 150). On some items, statistically significant differences (p < 0.05) emerged for gender and personal previous experiences with terminally ill people. This study shows poor attitudes toward care of the dying patient among second-year Italian medical students, as measured by FATCOD Form B. The need to establish tailored methods in End-of-Life Care education to make students aware of their relationship patterns and to improve students' attitudes toward dying patients is discussed.

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Attitude of Health Personnel
  • Attitude to Death*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Patient-Centered Care*
  • Students, Medical / psychology*
  • Surveys and Questionnaires
  • Terminal Care*
  • Terminally Ill / psychology*
  • Young Adult