Simulation-based teaching to improve cardiovascular exam skills performance among third-year medical students.
BACKGROUND
Evidence supports the need for improvement in cardiac physical examination skills training.


OBJECTIVE
This study evaluates whether the addition of simulation offers added benefit over training utilizing standardized patients only.


METHODS
All 124 third-year students who completed the required clerkship in one academic year received cardiac examination skills training utilizing a standardized patient and a cardiac simulator. The control group, comprising 281 students from 2 previous academic years, received training utilizing a standardized patient only. All students' physical exam skills were assessed in an objective structured clinical examination.


RESULTS
Students trained with cardiac simulation performed significantly better than the control group in all 5 cardiac skills. The number of students who correctly performed all 5 cardiac exam skills increased significantly (p=.004). Pulmonary exam skills were unchanged.


CONCLUSIONS
The use of simulation in addition to standardized patient teaching can improve students' performance of cardiac examination skills.
Department of Family Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina 29425-1920, USA. kerndh@musc.edu
Donna H
DH
Kern
Arch G
AG
Mainous
Maura
M
Carey
Anne
A
Beddingfield
D000328:Adult; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis; D002319:Cardiovascular System; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D002983:Clinical Competence / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D003198:Computer Simulation; D004504:Education, Medical, Undergraduate / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D004521:Educational Measurement / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007858:Learning; D008297:Male; D010808:Physical Examination / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D013337:Students, Medical / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D013663:Teaching / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014481:United States