Document Details

Document Type : Thesis 
Document Title :
The Role of Religious Concepts in Defining Medical Professionalism in a Muslim Arab Society
دور المفاهيم الدينية في تعريف المهنية الطبية في مجتمع عربي مسلم
 
Subject : Faculty of medicine 
Document Language : Arabic 
Abstract : Introduction: Calls have been made to contextualize definitions of medical professionalism in non-Western cultures to serve the sociocultural needs of these societies. In Muslim Arab societies, experts called for integrating religious cultural concepts (RCCs) into the professionalism definitions. However, it is not clearly known how the role of RCCs may influence medical practice and shape professionalism. Methods: The present qualitative study was conducted using a constructivist, grounded theory (GT) approach. Data were collected by semi-structured interviews. We recruited Saudi academic physicians working at the King Abdulaziz University Hospital (KAUH) who trained abroad and returned to practice in Saudi Arabia (SA). We used theoretical sampling to recruit participants with different academic genders, generations, academic ranks and leadership roles. We pursued subjects with different degrees of religious conservatism to scrutinize the categories related to ‘finding the gold standard’. The interviews were analyzed using open, axial, and theoretical coding techniques to find concepts and categories and construct a narrative for the social process in question, adopting methods from Charmaz. A theoretical framework was generated. Results & Discussion: We recruited 15 physicians. They revealed that RCCs merged with medical professionalism. They emphasized the importance of respecting traditional religious culture but highlighted the evolving nature of RCCs. Many argued for using RCCs as supplementary concepts in professionalism definitions not as a backbone for these definitions. When apparent conflicts arose between requirements of medical practice and RCCs, participants simultaneously and alternatingly applied dual standards to define professionalism: a medical and a religious cultural standard. They shifted, at times unpredictably, between these in search for a gold standard in each situation. This dynamic shaped the values of medical practice and the definitions of professionalism. Conclusion: Physicians emphasized respect for and constant evolution of RCCs. They positioned RCCs as supplements to professionalism definitions. Physicians’ use of dual religious cultural and medical standards shapes medical practice, at times unpredictably. This is worthy of further study to ensure patient-centeredness and preservation of the essential values of medical practice and medical education. 
Supervisor : Prof. Mukhtiar Baig 
Thesis Type : Master Thesis 
Publishing Year : 1443 AH
2022 AD 
Co-Supervisor : Prof. Lorelei Lingard 
Added Date : Wednesday, January 25, 2023 

Researchers

Researcher Name (Arabic)Researcher Name (English)Researcher TypeDr GradeEmail
هيثم أسامة طيبTayeb, Haythum OsamaResearcherMaster 

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