Using standardized patient outcome to measure the effect of teaching asthma-related patient education and information-giving skills to medical students.
BACKGROUND
Patient education and giving information is a core skill that improves patient adherence and medical outcomes.


OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the impact of a teaching intervention on 3rd-year students' competency in patient education and information giving about asthma medication delivery.


METHODS
Students (n=81) completed a 1-hr teaching intervention of didactics followed by role playing of asthma patient education scenarios. Using a standardized patient post intervention, patient education and information-giving skills about spacer/metered dose inhalers were scored overall and on a 12-item checklist and compared to a control group (n=70). Students' knowledge was evaluated using a short answer test.


RESULTS
The performance of intervention students on overall patient education, 10 of the 12 checklist items, and the test was significantly higher than controls but did not approach competency.


CONCLUSIONS
The 1-hr intervention improved clinical performance and knowledge, but students did not become competent. Future studies should investigate how competence in this and other core patient education skills can be successfully achieved.
Lo Sasso
Alisa Alfonsi
AA
Department of Pediatrics, Temple University Medical School, Philadelphia, PA 19083, USA. losassoa@tuhs.temple.edu
Lane
J Lindsey
JL
Malloy
Raymond B
RB
D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001249:Asthma / Q000628:therapy; D002983:Clinical Competence; D004504:Education, Medical, Undergraduate; D004521:Educational Measurement / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010349:Patient Compliance; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D012646:Self Administration; D013337:Students, Medical; D013663:Teaching / Q000379:methods*