A randomized, controlled trial of bedside versus conference-room case presentation in a pediatric intensive care unit.
OBJECTIVE
Case presentation and teaching performed at the bedside are declining. Patients' preference between bedside case presentation and conference-room case presentation is divergent in the literature. Residents seem to prefer the conference room. The objective of this study was to ascertain whether there was a difference of satisfaction and comfort between bedside case presentation and conference-room case presentation for the parents of patients hospitalized in the PICU and for the residents in training in the PICU.


METHODS
Every child hospitalized in the PICU who had 2 consecutive morning rounds, performed in the presence of the same resident, attending pediatrician, and parent, was eligible for the study. The study began with the first patient's case presentation after admission in the PICU. Randomization was on the first case presentation: bedside or conference room. On the second day, the other type of case presentation was performed. After each round, the parents and the resident filled out a questionnaire.


RESULTS
Twenty-seven parents of 22 patients answered both questionnaires, and 21 questionnaires were answered by residents. Parents' satisfaction was significantly higher during bedside case presentation (96 vs 92, answers reported on a 100-mm linear scale), they preferred bedside case presentation (95 vs 15), and they were more comfortable attending bedside teaching (89 vs 19). There was no difference in the residents' satisfaction nor in their comfort giving the actual case presentation. Residents, on the other hand, were significantly more comfortable asking questions (84 vs 69) and being asked questions (85 vs 67) during conference-room case presentation. A total of 81% of the parents wished that the next case presentation would take place at the bedside.


CONCLUSIONS
This study demonstrates the feasibility of a clinical case presentation performed at the bedside in the PICU context that seems to satisfy parents without causing too much discomfort to residents. Thus, bedside case presentation could be a very good teaching strategy in university hospitals.
Department of Pediatrics, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada. marc-antoine.landry@usherbrooke.ca
Marc-Antoine
MA
Landry
Sylvie
S
Lafrenaye
Marie-Claude
MC
Roy
Claude
C
Cyr
D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003422:Critical Care / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D015278:Intensive Care Units, Pediatric; D007396:Internship and Residency / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010290:Parents / Q000193:education; D019095:Point-of-Care Systems; D013663:Teaching / Q000379:methods*