Innovative "Case-Based Integrated Teaching" in an undergraduate medical curriculum: development and teachers' and students' responses.
BACKGROUND
We developed "Case-Based Integrated Teaching (C-BIT)" in our medical school to integrate the content of various disciplines through a core patient design that introduces major diseases to students. This article presents the concepts, development and initial evaluation of the teachers' and students' responses to C-BIT.


METHODS
Teachers' manuals for 18 major diseases were completed. Eighty teachers from various disciplines participated in writing the first 10 manuals. On the basis of this experience, 57 teachers subsequently prepared another 8 manuals. Each manual is composed of a brief summary of a patient with a major disease, learning objectives, case presentation, questions, a teaching guide and references for all disciplines. Teachers' and students' responses to a questionnaire were recorded.


RESULTS
Most respondents agreed that C-BIT is patient-centred and can be used to improve curriculum integration, reduce duplication in teaching and enhance communication among the faculty members from various disciplines. One-third of the teachers contributed to more than one C-BIT manual, indicating their enthusiasm for the development of C-BIT. Most of the students agreed that C-BIT can enhance discussion, integrate the curriculum and promote active learning.


CONCLUSIONS
We have developed a new format for teaching materials that enhance teacher-student and teacher-teacher interactions, reduces redundant content and integrates disciplines through patient-oriented medical education.
Chan
Wing Pong
WP
Department of Radiology, School of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taiwan, ROC.
Hsu
Chung Yi
CY
Hong
Chuang Ye
CY
D004504:Education, Medical, Undergraduate / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards; D004521:Educational Measurement; D006801:Humans; D008370:Manuals as Topic / Q000592:standards; D010865:Pilot Projects; D018794:Problem-Based Learning / Q000458:organization & administration*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013624:Taiwan