“It would have been more constructive if she had given me points to improve on”: Student perceptions of patient feedback in dietetics

Introduction: The voice of the patient has historically been peripheral in many health professional programs. Methods: We investigated the merit of health professional students seeking patient feedback on the effectiveness of their clinical consultations as part of usual clinical placements. Dietetic students (n = 34) formally sought patient feedback after usual consultations (n = 48) then completed a reflective feedback tool. The experience of seeking and receiving patient feedback was then explored through student written narratives, facilitated with a focus group (n = 4). The student reflective forms, and recorded and transcribed focus group, were inductively analysed for themes. Results: Despite the positive perception of the educational task, students did not value the overwhelmingly positive feedback they received from patients, preferring more critical clinical educator feedback. Conclusion: The lack of value attributed to patient perspectives in the learning process raises questions about the success of the current teaching of patient-centred care despite the aspiration to legitimise the patient voice as central to health professional education.