Examination room presentations in general internal medicine clinic: patients' and students' perceptions

To determine if patients are more satisfied with their health care when medical students present in the exam room to both the attending physician and patient than they are when medical students present outside the exam room to only the attending. To determine medical students' preference for location of presentation and the reasons for their preference. To determine if exam-room presentations promote the education of medical students to a greater degree than presentations outside of the exam room.

In 2001, 108 patients and 142 fourth-year medical students at internal medicine (IM) clinics affiliated with the University of Washington School of Medicine were asked to complete an 11-point ordinal scale questionnaire on their attitudes toward medical student presentations.

One hundred patients (93%) and 68 medical students (48%) responded. Patients with in-room presentations enjoyed working with the medical student more than did patients with out-of-room presentations. Both groups expressed a preference for in-room presentations on future visits and a high level of comfort with student and physician discussing their health. Medical students reported a slight preference for presenting out of the room. When presenting in the room, students reported learning more about physical diagnosis and bedside manner and less about mechanism of disease than when presenting out-of-room.

Patients preferred in-room case presentations and were comfortable with medical students and physicians discussing their health in their presence. In-room presentations also foster instruction on bedside manner and physical diagnosis. These data suggest that both patients and students would benefit from participating in more in-room presentations.