Teaching medical interviewing. A basic course on interviewing and the physician-patient relationship

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Clinical Skills Training
• Communication in Healthcare

Background:

• Traditional medical education often lacks rigorous training in clinical interviewing skills.
• Effective patient communication is crucial for accurate diagnosis and treatment.
• Developing standardized methods for teaching interviewing is essential for modern medical curricula.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe a comprehensive course for teaching basic medical interviewing skills to first-year medical students.
• To present an educational framework and research supporting the efficacy of this teaching methodology.
• To establish educational principles and standards for medical interviewing instruction.

Main Methods:

• Implementation of a structured curriculum for first-semester, first-year medical students.
• Utilizing faculty development, small group sessions, detailed coursebooks, and an interview checklist.
• Incorporating extensive practice through role-playing and standardized patient encounters with multi-source feedback (self, peer, faculty).
• Employing audiotape and videotape for enhanced learning and skill assessment.

Main Results:

• Demonstrated significant gains in students' medical interviewing skills.
• Reported a positive correlation between improved student skills and increased standardized patient satisfaction.
• Validated the effectiveness of the structured teaching approach and feedback mechanisms.

Conclusions:

• A structured, skills-based approach can effectively teach medical interviewing to novice students.
• The described course provides a replicable model for medical institutions.
• Improving interviewing skills directly enhances patient experience and satisfaction.