Medical Interviewing Skills Research Articles

Enhancing Medical Interview Skills Through AI-Simulated Patient Interactions: Nonrandomized Controlled Trial.

Medical interviewing is a critical skill in clinical practice, yet opportunities for practical training are limited in Japanese medical schools, necessitating urgent measures. Given advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) technology, its application in the medical field is expanding. However, reports on its application in medical interviews in medical education are scarce. This study aimed to investigate whether medical students' interview skills could be improved by engaging with AI-simulated patients using large language models, including the provision of feedback. This nonrandomized controlled trial was conducted with fourth-year medical students in Japan. A simulation program using large language models was provided to 35 students in the intervention group in 2023, while 110 students from 2022 who did not participate in the intervention were selected as the control group. The primary outcome was the score on the Pre-Clinical Clerkship Objective Structured Clinical Examination (pre-CC OSCE), a national standardized clinical skills examination, in medical interviewing. Secondary outcomes included surveys such as the Simulation-Based Training Quality Assurance Tool (SBT-QA10), administered at the start and end of the study. The AI intervention group showed significantly higher scores on medical interviews than the control group (AI group vs control group: mean 28.1, SD 1.6 vs 27.1, SD 2.2; P=.01). There was a trend of inverse correlation between the SBT-QA10 and pre-CC OSCE scores (regression coefficient -2.0 to -2.1). No significant safety concerns were observed. Education through medical interviews using AI-simulated patients has demonstrated safety and a certain level of educational effectiveness. However, at present, the educational effects of this platform on nonverbal communication skills are limited, suggesting that it should be used as a supplementary tool to traditional simulation education.

Assessing Residents in the Department of Surgery at a Tertiary Care Centre Using Mini-Clinical Evaluation Exercise (Mini-CEX).

This study aimed to introduce, sensitize, and train our postgraduate students and faculty of the department of general surgery with the use of mini-Clinical Evaluation Exercise (mini‑CEX) and to assess the perception of students and faculty towards it. A cross‑sectional observational study was conducted over a period of four months. Ten surgery residents in the department were asked to volunteer to participate and five professors conducted the session. Five sessions of mini‑CEX(nine points) were conducted for each resident in different settings of the out‑patient department (OPD) and in‑patient department (IPD). A total of five skills were tested. Feedback from faculty and residents regarding the perception of mini‑CEX was alsotaken. A statistically significant difference in mean scores of all domains was observed comparing the first and last assessment (p<0.05). Hundred percent of the residents scored superior category (7-9) in the final assessment in all domains, whereas the maximum was in a satisfactory scoring grade in 1st assessment. The time taken for the assessment significantly reduced from 1st assessment to the last assessment in OPD and IPD settings (p=0.001). The mini-CEX assessment tool got 100% feedback from faculty in terms of skill improvement, method, attitude of residents, and ability to identify gaps in knowledge. However, one assessor thought that "time given for assessment" was inadequate and more effort was required than the usual traditional assessment methods. The most identified problem faced by residents was that the "time given during assessment" was less (50%); however, overall residents also found it valid, effective, and helpful in identifying knowledge gaps and improving clinical and communication skills. Mini‑CEX improves the learning environment in residency and also leads to improvement in medical interviewing skills, physical examination skills, humanistic qualities/professionalism, and counseling skills. So, it can be used for residency training in clinical departments.

Application of ALSO course in standardized training Resident in Obstetric

ObjectiveTo explore the teaching effect of Advanced Life Support in Obstetrics (ALSO) Course in the standardized training resident in obstetric.Methods60 residents of obstetrics from January 2021 to December 2022 were randomly divided into two groups, observation group and control group. The experimental group used ALSO teaching method, and the control group used traditional teaching method. The teaching effect was evaluated by theoretical examination, direct observation of procedural skills (DOPS) scale and mini clinical evaluation (Mini-CEX) scale.ResultsThe theoretical achievements of the observation group were significantly higher than that of the control group (P < 0.05). The pre-procedural preparation, safe analgesia, technique of procedure, aseptic technique, seeks help when necessary, post-procedural management, communication skills, humanistic care and overall performance score of the DOPS in the experimental group were higher than those in the control group (P < 0.05). The organization efficiency, humanistic qualities, manipulative skills, clinical judgment, medical interviewing skills and overall clinical competence score of the Mini-CEX in the experimental group were higher than those in the control group (P < 0.05).ConclusionsALSO teaching method has an ideal effect in the standardization training of residents of obstetrics, indicating the prospect of active in-depth research and expanded application.

The Validity and Reliability of the Patient-Physician Interview Skill Evaluation Form in Five Steps

Objective: Developing basic and clinical communication and clinical reasoning skills is crucial in facilitating medical school students' future medical practice. The path to these skills` development goes through conducting patient-physician interviews. This research aims to conducted to determine the validity and reliability of the Patient-Physician Interview Skill Evaluation Form(P-PISEF) to be used in performance-based tests in the evaluation of patient-physician interview skills. Methods: This study has a descriptive and methodological design and was carried out in June-December 2021. The data were collected from the performance of 197 students with the evaluation of 18 faculty members using the developed form. Explanatory and confirmatory factor analyses, Cronbach's alpha and item the total score was analyzed. Results: The distribution of the eighteen lecturers (38.88%) was associate professors. P-PISEF, comprising 46 articles, five main sections, and seven components. Lecturers were evaluated in a certain order with over 70% compliance. Over 90% of evaluators evaluated P-PISEF similarly. The Cronbach's Alpha (α) was found at 0.793. The KMO value in this study is 0.733, and the data is moderately adequate for analysis. The result of the Bartlett's test was 5983.586 (p&amp;lt;0.05). This measurement shows that the variable we are measuring is multivariate in the sample parameter (specialty, career step, etc.). The total variance explained in this study was 57.577. Conclusion: P-PISEF is an evaluation tool that can be used in patient-physician interview simulations of medical students. The results help curriculum planners to arrange programs that address the development of medical interview skills more effectively.

Feedback-based approach in teaching medical interviewing

Educational feedback is a facilitating tool in improving medical interviewing skills through simulation practices. The simulated patient (SP) programme at the University of Pécs Medical School aims to provide efficient help for educators and students alike in language for medical purposes, communication and clinical courses. The constructivist feedback methodological approach ensures that students in history taking classes learn from role-playing in simulated scenarios and the feedback offered from the simulated patient. Effective assessment includes the learners’ own reflection and the patients’ non-judgmental observation on perceived interpersonal communication skills, observed professional misconduct, students’ ability to cope in emotionally challenging situations, and suggestions for improvement. Giving feedback has to be offered regularly to enable improvement in medical communication and nurture self-confidence. Our questionnaire survey of the students who attended history taking courses involved both self-reflection and instructor feedback based on their performance during simulated scenarios. The results of the study demonstrated substantial developments in relationship-building skills and self-confidence for students in post-course clinical practice.

Teaching \u201cmedical interview and physical examination\u201d from the very beginning of medical school and using \u201cescape rooms\u201d during the final assessment: achievements and educational impact in Japan

BackgroundThere is no consensus regarding the best time to teach two fundamental pillars of clinical medicine: medical interview and physical examination. We investigated the impacts of teaching the course “Medical Interview and Physical Examination” in Japan from the very beginning of medical school. In addition, we also evaluated the educational value of using “Escape Rooms”, a series of timed, game-based scenarios using simulators, as a part of the final assessment of the course.MethodsAt the end of the course, the interview capabilities of 140 first year medical students at International University of Health and Welfare (Japan) were assessed by physicians who acted as simulated patients. Physical examination skills were assessed using the “Escape Room” team task method. Students also self-assessed their confidence in their physical examination skills pre and post “Escape Rooms.” A day prior to the final assessment, students completed an anonymous course evaluation.ResultsThe average global rating of the students’ medical interview skills using a rating scale from 1 to 6 (1-fail 6-outstanding, no different from practicing junior physician’s level) was 4.6. Twenty-two students scored the highest mark of 6. An average of 89% of “Escape Room” teams finished all the physical examination tasks correctly within the allotted time. All teams that could not finish in time completed all tasks correctly when given an additional 3 to 5 min. Students’ self-assessed confidence in their physical examination skills increased from 49 to 73 (out of 100) pre and post “Escape Rooms.” In the course evaluation questionnaire, 99% of students answered “this course enhanced their motivation” (response rate 89%) and 99% also answered “this course was interesting and useful” (response rate 86%).ConclusionsThis descriptive study analyzing both quantitative and qualitative data showed that the course not only achieved the intended objectives of successfully conducting comprehensive medical interview and basic physical examination skills, but also enhanced student motivation. “Escape Rooms”, used for the course assessment, in itself enhanced students’ self-perceived physical examination skills and had an added educational value.

Mini clinical evaluation exercise (Mini-CEX): A tool for assessment of residents in department of surgery.

The mini-clinical evaluation exercise (mini-CEX) is a formative assessment tool designed to provide feedback on skills essential to good medical care by observing an actual clinical encounter. However, the bigger advantage of mini-CEX is the structured feedback that it provides to the students as well as the faculty, thus helping them to make better decisions. This study was a cross-sectional observational study. Sixteen surgery residents volunteered for participation and five professors conducted sessions; hence, 80 mini-CEX encounters. Seven core clinical skill assessments were done, and the performance was rated on a 9-point scale (grouped into unsatisfactory, satisfactory, and superior). Immediate feedback to the residents was given by the faculty. Delayed feedback from faculty and residents regarding the perception of mini-CEX was taken. Statistical analysis was done using SPSS version 20 and analysis of variance (ANOVA) for inferential statistics. As planned, 80 (100%) mini-CEX encounters were conducted. Surgery residents showed improvement that was statistically significant in the competencies of medical interviewing skills, physical examination skills, humanistic qualities/professionalism, and counseling skills. Most of the faculty (80%) were able to identify the gaps in the knowledge of students and areas of improvement for their teaching. However, 60% of the faculty felt that it required more effort than traditional methods. The mean time taken by the assessor for observation and feedback to residents was 12.51 min and 5.68 min, respectively. The mean scores of evaluator satisfaction and resident satisfaction with mini-CEX sessions were 6.04 and 7.49, respectively. Mini-CEX improves the learning environment in residency and also leads to improvement in medical interviewing skills, physical examination skills, humanistic qualities/professionalism, and counseling skills. It is done in the actual patient encounter and hence prepares the resident better for dealing with patients in the future.

Co-teaching in an Undergraduate Clinical Skills Course: Physicians and Social Behavioural Scientists Use a Shared Mental Model to Highlight Complementary Aspects of Medical Interviewing and Physical Exam Skills.

This article was migrated. The article was marked as recommended. Introduction: Interdisciplinary co-teaching by physicians (MD) and social behavioural scientists (SBS) has emerged as an innovative teaching practice in clinical skills courses, but little is known about how co-teachers operationalize instruction. The purpose of this study was to explore the shared mental model of co-teachers concerning medical interviewing and physical examination instruction. Methods: Twelve individual semi-structured interviews were conducted at Brown University. Participants were asked, " What and how do MD and SBS faculty contribute to teaching medical interviewing and physical examination skills?" Transcripts were subjected to thematic analysis. Discourse analysis was also used to determine if what faculty individually described as contributing to instruction was observed by the co-teacher. Results: Physician and SBS faculty emphasized different but complementary aspects of medical interviewing and physical examination skills. Physicians focused on content, targeting clinical reasoning, differential diagnosis, economy of movement, efficiency, synthesis, and technical skills. SBS faculty focused on process,emphasizing active listening, presence, non-verbal communication, rapport building, empathy, and patient comfort. Discussion: Co-teachers consistently articulated their relative contributions to teaching medical interviewing and physical examinations. Their shared mental model emphasized the importance of both content and process, creating a learning environment supporting the development of both biomedical and patient-centred perspectives.

Effects of gender in resident evaluations and certifying examination pass rates

BackgroundThough the proportion of female Internal Medicine (IM) residents and faculty has increased, there is minimal large scale modern data comparing resident performance by gender. This study sought to examine the effects of resident and faculty gender on resident evaluations.MethodsRetrospective observational study over 5 years in a single IM program. IM certifying examination pass rates were obtained from the American Board of IM.ResultsFour hundred eighty-eight residents (195 women, 293 men), evaluated by 430 attending physicians (163 women, 270 men) were included. Twelve thousand six hundred eighty-one evaluations between 2007 and 2012 were analyzed. Female residents scored higher in two domains (Medical Interviewing, and Interpersonal and Communication Skills) (p < 0.01 for each), with no significant difference between genders for the other domains (Medical Knowledge, Overall Patient Care, Physical Examination, Procedural Skills, Professionalism, Practice Based Learning and Improvement, System Based Practices and Overall score). There were no differences in scoring between female and male attending physicians. There were no differences in certifying examination scores between women and men among graduating residents. National pass rates for women were not statistically different to pass rates for men from 1987 to 2015.ConclusionsData from one large academic medical center demonstrate higher ratings for female residents on performance domains reflecting bedside care and interpersonal skills, with similar scores for medical knowledge and remaining domains. No significant difference was seen locally in certifying examination scores, nor in recent national pass rates, an objective measure of medical knowledge. Despite imbalanced female representation in areas of medicine, our data suggest that gender-based disparities in Internal Medicine resident medical knowledge and physician competency are no longer present.

Which Medical Interview Skills are Most Effective in Family Medicine/General Practice Consultation to See Patients with Psychosomatic Problems?

Which Medical Interview Skills are Most Effective in Family Medicine/General Practice Consultation to See Patients with Psychosomatic Problems?

Facial Expression Visualization System for Medical Interview Practice Support

Medical students refine their medical interview skills by practicing with simulated patients, which is generally called simulated interviews. A medical teacher observes the behaviors of medical students during the simulated interviews and gives them feedback. However, identifying all the bad behaviors and giving clear feedback is difficult. Our research is developing a system to support the reflection of medical teachers for simulated medical interviews. Our system visualizes the facial expressions of medical students and simulated patients and presents good/bad attitudes by analyzing their relationships. As a result of the actual teacher of the medical interviewer using the system, they commented that it became easier to give feedback and that the amount of feedback was increased.

Educational Impact of Mini-CEX Using Clinical Encounter Card System among Obstetrics and Gynecology Residents in a Tertiary Care Hospital.

To assess the educational impact of implementing mini-CEX clinical encounter card system to the residents in obstetrics and gynecology. Quasi-experimental study. Gynecology Unit 1, Jinnah Hospital, Allama Iqbal Medical College, Lahore, from April 2016 to March 2017. In this prospective study, a total of 64 encounters were assessed in eight residents by three assessors using mini-CEX Clinical Encounter Card System (CEC). Scores were awarded and entered on the card. Cronbach's alpha was calculated to check reliability of the mini-CEX items. In the first encounter, three (37.5%) residents had unsatisfactory overall skills, while five (62.5%) had satisfactory and none had superior skills. However, at the eighth assessment, none of the resident had unsatisfactory skills, six (75%) had satisfactory skills, while two (25%) had superior skills. Cronbach's alpha was calculated as 0.894, which shows high reliability. Statistically significant differences (p <0.05) were observed in medical interviewing skills (MIS), physical examination skills (PES) and organizational efficiency (OE). Mini-CEX is an acceptable and practical tool for assessment of residents during training. The study showed marked improvement in the overall skills of the residents. It was found to be feasible within the daily working in OPD and Indoor wards. Both faculty and residents have accepted it very well.

Peer-Assisted History-Taking Groups: A Subjective Assessment of their Impact Upon Medical Students' Interview Skills.

Background and Objectives: Among the clinical skills needed by all physicians, history taking is one of the most important. The teaching model for peer-assisted history-taking groups investigated in the present study consists of small-group courses in which students practice conducting medical interviews with real patients. The purpose of this pilot study was to investigate the expectations, experiences, and subjective learning progress of participants in peer-assisted history-taking groups.Methods: The 42 medical student participants completed a 4-month, peer-assisted, elective history-taking course, which both began and ended with a subjective assessment of their interview skills by way of a pseudonymized questionnaire. Measures comprised the students’ self-assessment of their interview skills, their expectations of, and their experiences with the course and especially with the peer tutors. Results: Medical students’ most important motivations in attending peer-assisted history-taking groups were becoming able to complete a structured medical interview, to mitigate difficult interviewing situations, and to address patients’ emotional demands appropriately. By the end of the course, students’ self-assessment of both their interview skills and management of emotional issues improved significantly. Students especially benefitted from individual feedback regarding interview style and relationship formation, as well as generally accepted and had their expectations met by peer tutors. Conclusions: To meet the important learning objectives of history-taking and management of emotional issues, as well as self-reflection and reflection of student–patient interactions, students in the field greatly appreciate practicing medical interviewing in small, peer-assisted groups with real patients. At the same time, peer tutors are experienced to be helpful and supportive and can help students to overcome inhibitions in making contact with patients.

Characteristics and Gender Differences in the Medical Interview Skills of Japanese Medical Students.

Objective To examine the characteristics of the communication skills of medical students, we observed their performance during introductory medical interview training with simulated patients (SPs). Methods The subjects of the present study included fifth-year medical students (male, n=180, female, n=99) who were undergoing clinical training in Japan from 2012 to 2014. Each student was assigned to one of four 10-minute clinical scenarios, which was conducted with an SP. Three or four teachers observed and assessed the performance of each of the students. The overall performance was rated on a 10-point scale, and nine basic communication skills that were common to each of the scenarios were rated using a four-point scale. The students also assessed their own performance on these items. The SPs assessed the students' performance from a patient's perspective on four items. Results There were significant correlations between the teacher and student scores. However, the students tended to score themselves significantly lower than the teachers. The female students were rated significantly higher by the teachers on the following four items; ‘eye contact and appropriate attitude,’ ‘nodding and back-channeling,’ ‘giving empathic verbal responses,’ and ‘acquisition of patient's psychosocial information.’ However, the self-assessments of the female students were only significantly higher than the male students in one item, ‘acquisition of patient's psychosocial information.’ In contrast, self-assessments of the male students were significantly higher in two items; none of their items was scored higher by the teachers. There was no significant gender difference in the assessments made by the SPs. Conclusion There were significant gender differences in the communication skills of the medical students during introductory training, suggesting the possibility that there were gender-specific traits and gender-based differences in the students' degrees of readiness.

Which medical interview skills are associated with patients' verbal indications of undisclosed feelings of anxiety and depressive feelings?

BackgroundIn medical practice, obtaining information regarding patients’ undisclosed “feelings of anxiety” or “depressive feelings” is important. The purpose of this study was to determine which interview skills are best suited for eliciting verbal indications of undisclosed feelings, for example anxiety or depressive feelings in patients.MethodsOur group videotaped 159 medical interviews at an outpatient department of the Department of Family Medicine, Mie University Hospital (Mie, Japan). Physicians’ medical interview skills were evaluated using a Medical Interview Evaluation System and Emotional Information Check Sheet for assessing indications of “feelings of anxiety” or “depressive feelings”. We analyzed the relationship between the interview skills and patients’ consequent emotional disclosure using generalized linear model (GLIM).ResultsThe usage of interview skills such as “open-ended questions” “asking the patient’s ideas about the meaning of illness” “reflection” and “legitimization” were positively associated with the number of anxiety disclosure, whereas “close-ended questions” and “focused question” were negatively associated. On the other hand, only “respect” was positively associated with the number of depressive disclosures, whereas “surveying question” was negatively associated.ConclusionsThe results revealed that there are several interview skills that are effective in eliciting verbal indication of undisclosed “feelings of anxiety” or “depressive feelings”.

Innovative integrative bedside teaching model improves tutors’ self-assessments of teaching skills and attitudes

IntroductionPatient bedside is the ideal setting for teaching physical examination, medical interviewing, and interpersonal skills. Herein we describe a novel model for bedside teaching (BST) practiced during tutor training workshop and its resulting effect on practitioners’ self assessment of teaching skills and perceptions.MethodsOne-day tutor training workshop included theoretical knowledge supplementation regarding tutors’ roles as well as implementing practical tools for clinical education, mainly BST model. The model, which emphasizes simultaneous clinical and communication teaching in a stepwise approach, was practiced by consecutive simulations with a gradual escalation of difficulty and adjusted instruction approaches. Pre- and post-workshop-adjusted questionnaires using a Likert scale of 1 to 4 were completed by participants and compared.ResultsAnalysis was based on 25 out of 48 participants who completed both questionnaires. Significantly improved teaching skills were demonstrated upon workshop completion (mean 3.3, SD 0.5) compared with pre-training (mean 2.6, SD 0.6; p<0.001) with significant increase in most examined parameters. Significantly improved tutor's roles internalization was demonstrated after training completion (mean 3.7, SD 0.3) compared with pre-workshop (mean 3.5 SD 0.5; p=0.002).DiscussionSuccessful BST involves combination of clinical and communication skills. BST model practiced during the workshop may contribute to improved teaching skills in this challenging environment.

Relationship between medical specialty and emergency department rotation performance of postgraduate year 1 residents

Before July 2011, all medical graduates chose their specialties for residency training prior to receiving a 1-month postgraduate year 1 (PGY-1) emergency medicine (EM) training in Taiwan. Therefore, the EM curriculum content may not correlate well with the chosen specialty. Accordingly, the PGY-1 trainees might learn from their EM training differently depending on specialty. This study explored the influence of the specialties of PGY-1 trainees on their performance in the 1-month EM training using workplace assessment tools. This retrospective study analyzed the clinical performance of 183 PGY-1 residents who underwent a 1-month EM training program in the emergency department of a teaching hospital. Their performance was assessed using several mini-clinical evaluation exercises (mini-CEXs) and a single monthly global rating. We classified trainees into three groups based on the extent to which the specialty chosen reflected primary care. (Radiology, pathology, nuclear medicine, and anesthesiology reflected little correlation. Obstetrics and gynecology, pediatrics, otolaryngology, ophthalmology, physical medicine and rehabilitation, psychiatry, neurosurgery, neurology, orthopedics, and urology reflected some correlation. Internal medicine, general surgery, EM, and family medicine had high correlation.) We analyzed the variation in the assessment outcomes between groups using Kruskal–Wallis test. Success in achieving learning outcomes in the emergency department was proportional to the degree of general practice of the specialty chosen. This trend was statistically significant for the mini-CEX domains of medical interviewing ( p = 0.028), clinical judgment ( p = 0.012), physical examination ( p = 0.001), professionalism ( p = 0.023), and clinical skills ( p = 0.001). Compared to the mini-CEX, the final monthly global rating showed no significant correlation between degree of learning and the trainee specialty. The success of PGY-1s in achieving learning outcomes after 1-month EM training was correlated with the degree of primary care of the specialty. The structured workplace assessment tool, mini-CEX, provided a more accurate evaluation compared with the single monthly global rating score.

A Medical Interviewing Curriculum Intervention for Medical Students’ Assessment of Suicide Risk

Effective communication strategies are required to assess suicide risk. The authors determined whether a 2-hour simulated-patient activity during a psychiatry clerkship improved self-assessment of medical interviewing skills relevant to suicide risk-assessment. In the 2-hour simulated-patient intervention, at least one psychiatrist, a non-clinician communication expert, and a specifically-trained simulated patient worked with groups of 4-6 students to address student-identified challenges with patient encounters involving suicide risk-assessment. Six of twelve clerkships between July 2010 and October 2011 were assigned to this educational intervention in addition to a communications curriculum. On a retrospective pre-post self-assessment, the 61 of 118 students assigned to the intervention group reported greater improvements in relevant skills. The process of discovering/responding to patients' feelings and identifying/addressing verbal and nonverbal cues specifically improved. The psychiatry clerkship provides a unique opportunity to reinforce and develop communications skills with a formal, skills-based curriculum.

Pengaruh Peer Assessment dalam Meningkatkan Keterampilan Anamnesis di Skills Laboratory

Background: Peer assessment is a breakthrough innovation in assessment method where students assess their fellows. The benefits of it are feedback, cognitive and metacognitive gain, motivation, collaborative learning, self-regulated learning and performance enhancement. Learning in skills laboratory, students are expected to be able to master not only knowledge but also skills. Peer assessment is expected to make students be more motivate in learning and enhance performance. The aim of this study is to find out whether peer assessment can enhance students’ medical interview skills in skills laboratory.Method: The method was a quasi-experiment study with matching-only pretest posttest control group design. The subjects were third-year students in Medical School of Tadulako University which were divided into 2 experiment groups and 2 control groups. Before giving treatment, the skills of students in all group were assessed (pre test). After the treatment, post test was held as an evaluation tool. The raising score from pre test to post test will be analyzed with student t test.Results: P value for raising score was 0,907 (á &gt; 0.05) with mean difference -0.091, which means statistically not significant. The negative number of mean difference indicate that the raising score in experiment group was lower than in control group.Conclusion: Raising score in control group was higher than in experiment group, but not significance statistically. Application of peer assessment in skills laboratory should be more concern in students ability in assessing which can be obtain by intense training and continuous monitoring and feedback from instructor.

The effect of videotaping students' interviews with patients for interview skill education.

BackgroundThe importance of communication between patients and physicians has been proven in many previous studies. The authors analyzed the effect of interview skill education through videotapes which recorded students' interviews with real patients in the outpatient department of family medicine.MethodsThis study was conducted with all students who chose the elective course of family medicine and one randomly selected student every week from an 'infectious internal medicine' class at Dongguk University Ilsan Hospital during the period from December 2008 to March 2011. All students performed a preliminary examination of a new patient at the outpatient department of family medicine. All consultations were videotaped. Feedback to the student was given on the same day by viewing the videotape together. After feedback, all students performed another preliminary examination of one new patient at the department of family medicine the same week. Three family medicine residents scored all videotapes using 10-item interview skill checklists. Many parts of the checklists were modified using the Arizona Clinical Interview Rating Scales.ResultsThirty-three students participated. Of 10 items, nine showed increased scores after feedback. There was a significant change in four items after feedback: 'type of question' (before 2.36 ± 0.60, after 2.73 ± 0.72), 'timeline' (before 2.82 ± 0.68, after 3.18 ± 0.73), 'positive verbal reinforcement' (before 2.24 ± 0.56, after 2.61 ± 0.90), and the total score (before 21.70 ± 2.62, after 23.39 ± 3.13) (P < 0.05).ConclusionGiving feedback to medical school students on medical interview skills using videotapes of students' preliminary consultations with real patients in outpatient settings, was effective in improving the interview areas of 'type of question,' 'timeline,' 'positive verbal reinforcement,' and the total interview scores.