title: Geriatric assessment in undergraduate geriatric education - a structured interpretation guide improves the quantity and accuracy of the results: a cohort comparison.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  With regard to the growing proportion of elderly multimorbid patients, a sound undergraduate geriatric education becomes more important. Therefore we included the execution and interpretation of a comprehensive geriatric assessment (CGA) into a mandatory two-week clerkship at a general practitioner's office. The present study examined the effect of a guide structuring the students' considerations when interpreting a CGA on the quantity and accuracy of the documented findings and conclusions.
  
  
  METHODS
  We compared random samples out of two cohorts of fourth-year medical students (interpreting the CGA with and without using the structured interpretation guide) completing their clerkship between April 2006 and March 2008 with regard to the content of the CGA interpretation and the grades the students achieved for their clerkship documentation, which were substantially determined by the quantity and accuracy of the documentation and interpretation of the CGA.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The structured interpretation guide led to significantly more mentions of aspects that have to be considered in geriatric patient care and to a higher documentation rate of respective positive results. Furthermore, students who analysed the CGA by using the interpretation guide achieved significantly better grades.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  An additional tool structuring medical students' considerations when interpreting a CGA increases the quantity and the accuracy of the documented findings and conclusions. This may enhance the students' learning gain.
authors.affiliation: Department of Primary Care, Leipzig Medical School, Philipp-Rosenthal-Straße 55, Leipzig 04103, Germany. tobias.deutsch@medizin.uni-leipzig.de.
authors.forename: Elisabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Igenbergs
authors.forename: Tobias
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Deutsch
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Frese
authors.forename: Hagen
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sandholzer
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002982:Clinical Clerkship / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards; D004504:Education, Medical, Undergraduate / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards; D004521:Educational Measurement; D005260:Female; D015577:Geriatric Assessment / Q000379:methods*; D005853:Geriatrics / Q000193:education*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D013664:Teaching Materials; D055815:Young Adult