title: Evaluating peer teaching about chronic disease.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The primary care areas of priority (PCAP) activity was developed to engage medical students in learning about chronic disease management in a clinical context from their peers. It is one of several summative assessment tasks that occur during a primary care community term rotation in a graduate-entry medical programme. We evaluated the acceptability and effectiveness of the PCAP activity as a combined teaching, learning and assessment innovation.
  
  
  METHODS
  Evaluation and assessment data from students who rotated through the four community term blocks during the 2011-2012 academic year was analysed using both qualitative and quantitative methods. PCAP peer teaching activity is an effective format for teaching about the management of chronic conditions in the community
  
  
  RESULTS
  Analysis indicated that 89 per cent (n = 148/166) of responding students rated the PCAP as satisfactory, good or excellent. The marking rubric contained 11 assessable components, including teaching skills, mastery of clinical knowledge, developing a management plan, disease prevention and health promotion opportunities, identifying patient safety issues, the impact of the clinical presentation on the patient and family, and consideration of health equity factors. Analysis of the assessment scores indicated that the majority of students achieved the specified learning outcomes.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The PCAP peer teaching activity was an acceptable and effective format for teaching about the management of chronic conditions in the community, and is adaptable to other teaching contexts. Students enjoyed teaching and being taught by their peers, and assessment results indicated that they developed their clinical knowledge as well as their teaching ability regarding chronic disease management.
authors.affiliation: Sydney Medical School-Northern (Hornsby), The University of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
authors.forename: Sylvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Guenther
authors.forename: Narelle
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Shadbolt
authors.forename: Chris
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Roberts
authors.forename: Tyler
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Clark
mesh_terms: D002908:Chronic Disease; D004504:Education, Medical, Undergraduate; D006801:Humans; D009517:New South Wales; D010379:Peer Group; D015397:Program Evaluation; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013663:Teaching