Will clinical signs become myth? Developing structured Signs Circuits to improve medical students' exposure to and confidence examining clinical signs.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Correctly eliciting and interpreting physical examination (PEx) signs contributes to successful diagnosis and is fundamental to patient care. A significant decline in the time spent acquiring these skills by medical students, and the decreased ability to elicit and recognise signs is widely acknowledged. However, organising teaching to counteract this in the busy clinical environment is challenging. We evaluated the prior exposure to clinical signs, and experience of examination teaching among a cohort of final-year medical students. Following this, we assessed the utility of a structured circuit-based approach (Signs Circuits) using hospital inpatients and junior doctors to provide high-yield PEx teaching and overcome these limitations.

Materials and methods

Qual

SUBMITTER: Merriott D 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9004494 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature