title: Communication training for advanced medical students improves information recall of medical laypersons in simulated informed consent talks--a randomized controlled trial.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Informed consent talks are mandatory before invasive interventions. However, the patients' information recall has been shown to be rather poor. We investigated, whether medical laypersons recalled more information items from a simulated informed consent talk after advanced medical students participated in a communication training aiming to reduce a layperson's cognitive load.
  
  
  METHODS
  Using a randomized, controlled, prospective cross-over-design, 30 5th and 6th year medical students were randomized into two groups. One group received communication training, followed by a comparison intervention (early intervention group, EI); the other group first received the comparison intervention and then communication training (late intervention group, LI). Before and after the interventions, the 30 medical students performed simulated informed consent talks with 30 blinded medical laypersons using a standardized set of information. We then recorded the number of information items the medical laypersons recalled.
  
  
  RESULTS
  After the communication training both groups of medical laypersons recalled significantly more information items (EI: 41 ± 9% vs. 23 ± 9%, p < .0001, LI 49 ± 10% vs. 35 ± 6%, p < .0001). After the comparison intervention the improvement was modest and significant only in the LI (EI: 42 ± 9% vs. 40 ± 9%, p = .41, LI 35 ± 6% vs. 29 ± 9%, p = .016).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Short communication training for advanced medical students improves information recall of medical laypersons in simulated informed consent talks.
authors: Department for Internal Medicine VI, Psychosomatic Medicine, University Hospital of Tübingen, Osianderstr. 5, 72076 Tübingen, Germany.
authors: Anne
authors: A
authors: Werner
authors: Friederike
authors: F
authors: Holderried
authors: Norbert
authors: N
authors: Schäffeler
authors: Peter
authors: P
authors: Weyrich
authors: Reimer
authors: R
authors: Riessen
authors: Stephan
authors: S
authors: Zipfel
authors: Nora
authors: N
authors: Celebi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003142:Communication; D018592:Cross-Over Studies; D004501:Education, Medical / Q000379:methods*; D004521:Educational Measurement; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007258:Informed Consent / Q000523:psychology; D008297:Male; D011939:Mental Recall; D008875:Middle Aged; D016544:Patient Simulation; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D013337:Students, Medical / Q000523:psychology; D055815:Young Adult
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