Teaching sexual history-taking skills using the Sexual Events Classification System.
OBJECTIVE
The authors review the literature about educational programs for teaching sexual history-taking skills and describe novel techniques for teaching these skills.


METHODS
Psychiatric residents enrolled in a brief sexual history-taking course that included instruction on the Sexual Events Classification System, feedback on residents' video-recorded interviews with simulated patients, discussion of videos that simulated bad interviews, simulated patients, and a competency scoring form to score a video of a simulated interview. After the course, residents completed an anonymous survey to assess the usefulness of the experience.


RESULTS
After the course, most residents felt more comfortable taking sexual histories. They described the Sexual Events Classification System and simulated interviews as practical methods for teaching sexual history-taking skills.


CONCLUSIONS
The Sexual Events Classification System and simulated patient experiences may serve as a practical model for teaching sexual history-taking skills to general psychiatric residents.
Fidler
Donald C
DC
West Virginia University, Behavioral Medicine & Psychiatry, 930 Chestnut Ridge Rd., Morgantown, WV 26505, USA. dfidler@hsc.wvu.edu
Petri
Justin Daniel
JD
Chapman
Mark
M
D002983:Clinical Competence; D006801:Humans; D007396:Internship and Residency / Q000379:methods; D008487:Medical History Taking / Q000379:methods*; D016544:Patient Simulation; D011570:Psychiatry / Q000193:education; D012725:Sexual Behavior / Q000145:classification*; D013663:Teaching / Q000379:methods