ABSTRACT
This research project investigates the value of using simulated v. real patients in teaching interviewing skills to third- and fourth-year medical students on a clerkship in family and community medicine. Sixty-four medical students (38 males, 28 females) were asked to make a videotaped patient interview at the beginning of the clerkship. Forty-one of the students interviewed trained, simulated patients and 22 interviewed real patients at their clerkship site. Students received feedback and faculty teaching of interviewing skills after the first interview. All students made another videotaped interview with a simulated patient at the conclusion of the clerkship. All interviews, pre- and post-clerkship, were scored for interviewing skills, focal areas, and nonverbal language. Multivariate and univariate analyses of pre- and post-interviews found simulated patients to be of most value in teaching medical students verbal interviewing skills and real patients to be of most value in teaching the focal content areas of the interview. Recommendations were made to include use of both simulated and real patients in the teaching of medical interviewing.
Subject(s)
Community Medicine/education , Family Practice/education , Interviews as Topic , Patients , Teaching , Analysis of Variance , Clinical Clerkship , Evaluation Studies as Topic , Female , Male , Research , Role Playing , Verbal Behavior , Videotape RecordingABSTRACT
This research project investigates medical students' interviewing skills before and after a six-week clerkship in family and community medicine. Male and female medical students participating in a clerkship in family and community medicine were asked to conduct a pre- and post-videotape interview with a simulated patient. After the pre-test videotape, the student received feedback from the simulated patient and from a faculty member. Students than participated in a six-week clerkship with a family physician. Multivariate and univariate analyses of variance of pre- and post-test interviews showed significant pre-post differences on seven of ten interviewing skills and focal areas. Significant differences relating to students' year in medical school were also found.
