# Assessing the Critical Thinking and Training Needs of Healthcare Professionals, and Patient Experiences: An Exploratory Cross-Sectional Study in Primary Care of Crete, Greece

## TL;DR

Healthcare professionals in Crete have strong critical thinking but need training in research and communication, while patients are satisfied with care but want better continuity and empowerment.

## Contribution

This study identifies specific training needs of PHC professionals and patient experience gaps in a Greek primary care setting.

## Key findings

- PHC professionals showed high critical thinking but moderate training needs in communication and research.
- Patients were satisfied with communication but reported poor continuity and empowerment, especially those with chronic diseases.

## Abstract

What are the main findings?
Primary healthcare professionals in Crete showed a high critical thinking disposition, with the highest training needs identified in research/audit, reflective practice, and initiative.Patients reported strong satisfaction with communication and patient-centered care, but lower satisfaction with continuity of care and empowerment, especially among those with chronic diseases.

Primary healthcare professionals in Crete showed a high critical thinking disposition, with the highest training needs identified in research/audit, reflective practice, and initiative.

Patients reported strong satisfaction with communication and patient-centered care, but lower satisfaction with continuity of care and empowerment, especially among those with chronic diseases.

What are the implications of the main findings?
Tailored professional development programs targeting identified skill gaps can support PHC professionals in enhancing care quality.Policymakers should focus on improving continuity and patient empowerment through structural system changes and better care coordination.

Tailored professional development programs targeting identified skill gaps can support PHC professionals in enhancing care quality.

Policymakers should focus on improving continuity and patient empowerment through structural system changes and better care coordination.

Background/Objectives: Primary health care (PHC) is the cornerstone of any high-quality healthcare system. For PHC to work well, healthcare professionals need to be skilled in critical thinking, self-reflection, and patient-centered care. However, few studies have explored the potential interplays between these factors. Therefore, this cross-sectional study evaluated the critical thinking disposition and training needs of PHC professionals, alongside patient experiences and satisfaction with PHC services. Methods: The study involved 54 PHC professionals and 100 patients from sixteen PHC facilities in Crete, Greece. Professionals completed the Critical Thinking Disposition Scale (CTDS) and Training Needs Assessment (TNA) questionnaires, while patients filled out the Quality-of-Life Instrument of Chronic Conditions in Primary Health Care (QUALICOPC) questionnaire. Results: Our findings indicated that PHC professionals exhibited high critical thinking levels (CTDS, mean score of 46.46 ± 4.24). However, TNA scores suggested moderate training needs, particularly in relationships/investigations [median: 0.50 (0, 1.50)], communication/patient-centered [median: 0.30 (0, 1.1)], and flexibility and application of knowledge [median: 0.40 (0, 1.0)]. Nevertheless, no significant correlation was found between CTDS and TNA (ρ = 0.08, p > 0.05). Patients mostly rated their health as poor (40%), and 26% lacked a family physician. Although patients were highly satisfied with communication and patient-centered care (>95% reporting positive experiences), continuity and empowerment had room for improvement. Only 37% felt their GP knew their living conditions, and 26% lacked a personal physician. Patients with chronic conditions reported significantly different experiences. Specifically, patients with chronic conditions had better continuity of care (84% vs. 59%, p = 0.01) and more comprehensive care (70% vs. 43%, p = 0.01) compared to controls. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that targeted training is needed for PHC professionals to address skill gaps. These initial findings could guide the creation of customized professional development initiatives and point to areas where PHC services could be structurally improved. Additional studies, including longitudinal ones, are required to further validate these associations.