title: Teaching focused histories and physical exams in ambulatory care: a multi-institutional randomized trial.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We needed specific strategies for students in diverse outpatient settings to more uniformly learn focused history and physical exam skills.
  
  
  METHODS
  We conducted a randomized control trial to test the use of focused history and physical exam scripts in enhancing 3rd-year medical students' clinical skills at two medical schools. The article based scripts outlined focused outpatient encounters. The outcome measure was blinded analysis of progress notes using a standardized scale. Descriptive statistics were used to assess differences among student in each school, and study groups were compared using a t test.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Five of 11 variables were statistically higher in the scripts group. These included history taking, physical examination, and overall score.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Focus Scripts facilitated a specific task of learning to document focused evaluations in acute and chronic office visits.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Dartmouth Medical School, Hanover and Lebanon, New Hampshire 03756, USA. Deborah.Peltier@dartmouth.edu
authors.forename: Deborah
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Peltier
authors.forename: Martha
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Regan-Smith
authors.forename: James
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wofford
authors.forename: Sean
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Whelton
authors.forename: Greg
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Kennebecks
authors.forename: Patricia A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Carney
mesh_terms: D000553:Ambulatory Care; D002983:Clinical Competence / Q000592:standards; D004501:Education, Medical; D006801:Humans; D008487:Medical History Taking / Q000592:standards*; D010808:Physical Examination / Q000592:standards*; D011361:Professional Competence / Q000592:standards*; D013663:Teaching; D014481:United States