Results of individual evaluations of four successive classes of first-year medical students' performance in a communication and interviewing skills curriculum were studied using meta-analysis. Carkhuff's (1969) Standard Indexes of Discrimination (DI) and Communication (CI) were administered before and after course completion. Enrollment in the…

On the premise that success in medical practice must depend to a large extent on physician attitudes as viewed by the patient, a pilot study was conducted to compare the opinion of patients assigned to students with the formal evaluation of these students by their instructors. Findings showed a complete absence of correlation between scores. (JT)

One-third of all scheduled pediatric visits are for well child care. The American Academy of Pediatrics has suggested that anticipatory guidance, which focuses on health maintenance, accident prevention, nutrition, and normal child development, should be a major part of well child visits. Training in well child counseling will only be accepted in…

The course content of a laboratory session on patient interviewing taught to medical students taking a course on physical diagnosis is discussed in this paper. The first part of the paper describes the basic course content covered in the lectures: the bio-psycho-social model, the communication process, and the skills necessary for effective…

Three functions of physician/patient communication are examined in this paper: its functions as a diagnostic tool, as a means of gaining compliance with prescribed medical treatment, and as treatment. The paper first notes the importance of doctor/parent interaction in the case of child patients, describes basic models of the doctor/patient…

A UCLA-San Fernando Valley Medical Program for training residents and interns in interpersonal skills is reported and evaluated. Using a modification of interpersonal process recall (IPR), the teaching technique uses both a structured course format and ongoing videotaping and reviewing of house officer-patient interactions with a faculty member.…

A national survey to determine the extent and characteristics of interpersonal skill (IPS) teaching in medical schools is reported. Eighty percent of IPS programs are less than five years old, are taught by psychiatrists and psychologists, and teach process, information-gathering, and psychological intervention. (LBH)

Observations were made of 108 pre-clinical medical students interviewing patients carefully selected by general practitioner instructors, under strict supervision in an audiovisual studio. Videotape replay, patient comments, and later group teaching were used to discover students with major defects in personal communication. (Author/LBH)

A postgraduate seminar on the psychological aspects of general practice was evaluated in which focus was on the developing doctor-patient relationship as revealed by the reporting doctor. Suggestions for improving such training sessions and their evaluation are offered. (LBH)

The way that residents in internal medicine allotted their time during patient management rounds was determined. House staff teams were observed for four days, and the time spent on all activities was recorded. The study suggests that medical educators should be concerned about the thoroughness of house staff work rounds. (Author/MLW)

Three chronically ill patients were trained to evaluate the performance of 31 second-year internal medicine house officers based upon: a checklist for the medical data elicited during the medical interview; the process of the interview; and the physical examination technique. (Author/MLW)

A program during clerkships in internal medicine, pediatrics, and surgery at Ben-Gurion University emphasizes psychosocial conferences teaching to include tutorial guidance throughout the student's preparation of a case presentation in which psychological, sociological, and anthropological aspects of the patients' coping with illness and the…

A study of internal medicine residents' attitudes toward specific older patients' health status, adjustment to medical care, and expected benefits of health education activities found that residents' attitudes correlated with their satisfaction and that patients tended to express greater satisfaction than residents. (Author/MSE)

The continuity of health care includes three elements: cognitive, management, and relationship. Exploration of each expands the understanding of continuity in medical practice. Continuity of care can be evaluated in both undergraduate and residency programs by the application of the criteria offered. (Author/MLW)

The effect of clinical experience on diagnosis formulation was assessed by studying physicians at different levels of training. To evaluate whether physicians' knowledge of being part of an experiment affected their formation and modification of diagnoses, physicians signed consent forms and were not informed when videotaping was done. (Author/MLW)