ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Cardiac simulators have been developed as an alternative training model in order to improve the cardiac auscultation skills of medical students. The effectiveness of the cardiac simulator's use in cardiac auscultatory training is presently not yet well established. OBJECTIVES: The authors aimed to investigate whether the use of a cardiac simulator can improve the auscultation skills of medical students. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The students taking the auscultation training on the cardiac simulator were grouped as Group A and the students not taking the auscultation training on the cardiac simulator were grouped as Group B (before). The students in Group B (before) were grouped as Group B (after) after receiving the auscultation training on the cardiac simulator. The percentages of accurate diagnoses for the tested heart murmurs were compared between Group A and Group B (before), and between Group B (before) and Group B (after). RESULTS: The rate of making correct diagnoses of normal heart sounds was similar in all the groups (Group A, Group B (before), and Group B (after)). By contrast, the percentage of accurate diagnoses for the tested heart murmurs was notably improved among the students in Group A with respect to Group B (before) (p < 0.01). Similarly, the rate of correct diagnoses for the tested heart murmurs was markedly higher among the students in Group B (after) than in Group B (before) (p < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: The use of a cardiac simulator as a training tool can improve the auscultation skills of medical students quickly and efficiently.
