Abstract
Visual clinical examination forms the diagnostic basis in skin-related conditions and is an essential element in medical teaching. The author describes a symbol-based aid to explain the dichotomy of factual observed findings with the information based on medical history: The Eye with Ears. It represents the two most relevant aspects in clinical examination of skin-related conditions and helps to clarify the contrast between the actual observation with information based on the context or past medical history. With the described aid, the author believes to have improved the quality of the teaching in clinical examination and that it has functioned as a practical help for medical students’ and residents’ professional development.
Highlights
Visual clinical examination forms the diagnostic basis when dealing with skin-related conditions and comprises essential elements that need to be learned in medical education [1]
The Eye with Ears symbol can be used on lecture slides or attached to patient cases, in bedside teaching or during group works as a reminder and memory aid to point out the essential difference between visual information, contextual information and inference
By repeatedly presenting the Eye and Ears symbol the teacher can help to shift the focus of students to the “skin approach” and the difference of observation and inference is visually pointed out
Summary
Visual clinical examination forms the diagnostic basis when dealing with skin-related conditions and comprises essential elements that need to be learned in medical education [1]. As skin related conditions are frequent causes of consultations in primary care, dermatology reflects a small subspecialty; it should be regarded as a key curricular component in clinical examination [2]. The importance of all findings needs to be weighted and appreciated in light of the patient history, context and dynamics of the specific problem [4]. The patient with a skin-related condition needs to be examined by integrating the observable skin changes (factual) with other information, which is mainly acquired by listening (patient history). Teaching clinical examination on patients with skin-related conditions remains a challenge and is still deficient of a simple systematic framework
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