[Blended-learning in psychosomatics and psychotherapy - Increasing the satisfaction and knowledge of students with a web-based e-learning tool]. / Blended-Learning in der Psychosomatik und Psychotherapie - Erhöhung der Zufriedenheit und Fachkompetenz Studierender durch Einsatz eines web-basierten E-Learning-Tools1.

OBJECTIVES: To improve the synergy of established methods of teaching, the Department of Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Münster, developed a web-based elearning tool using video clips of standardized patients. The effect of this blended-learning approach was evaluated. METHODS: A multiple-choice test was performed by a naive (without the e-learning tool) and an experimental (with the tool) cohort of medical students to test the groups' expertise in psychosomatics. In addition, participants' satisfaction with the new tool was evaluated (numeric rating scale of 0-10). RESULTS: The experimental cohort was more satisfied with the curriculum and more interested in psychosomatics. Furthermore, the experimental cohort scored significantly better in the multiple-choice test. CONCLUSION: The new tool proved to be an important addition to the classical curriculum as a blended-learning approach which improves students' satisfaction and knowledge in psychosomatics.

[Evaluation of the clinical course Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy employing standardized patients]. / Evaluation des Praktikums " Psychosomatik und Psychotherapie" mit standardisierten Patienten.

OBJECTIVE: Since the Winter Term 2008/2009 the Medical School of the University of Muenster, Germany, has used standardized patients in the clinical course Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy with fourth-year undergraduate students performing bio-psycho-social anamnesis on these standardized patients. We wanted to evaluate the influence of the course on the empathy of the students. METHODS: A total of 107 students participated in the standardized patient program during the Winter Term 2009/2010, with 90 (84.1 %) completing the Jefferson Scale of Physician Empathy before and after the course. In addition, we conducted a standard evaluation of the medical faculty. RESULTS: The pre-post comparison revealed a significant increase in empathy (d = 0.331, p = .001). The standard evaluation yielded a high satisfaction among the course participants, though several students did assess the course critically. CONCLUSION: The implementation of a standardized patient program in psychosomatics and psychotherapy proved to be of value, since it increased empathy of the students and received a positive evaluation. To prevent the students from being humiliated, it is of particular importance to implement a gentle and tactful feedback.