[Computer-assisted analysis of the results of training in internal medicine]

Analysis of the results of teaching of clinical disciplines has in the long run an impact on the standard and value of medical care. It requires processing of quantitative and qualitative data. The selection of indicators which will be followed up and procedures used for their processing are of fundamental importance. The submitted investigation is an example how to use possibilities to process results of effectiveness analysis in teaching internal medicine by means of computer technique. As an indicator of effectiveness the authors selected the percentage of students who had an opportunity during the given period of their studies to observe a certain pathological condition, and as method of data collection a survey by means of questionnaires was used. The task permits to differentiate the students' experience (whether the student examined the patient himself or whether the patient was only demonstrated) and it makes it possible to differentiate the place of observation (at the university teaching hospital or regional non-teaching hospital attachment). The task permits also to form sub-groups of respondents to combine them as desired and to compare their results. The described computer programme support comprises primary processing of the output of the questionnaire survey. The questionnaires are transformed and stored by groups of respondents in data files of suitable format (programme SDFORM); the processing of results is described as well as their presentation as output listing or on the display in the interactive way (SDRESULT programme). Using the above programmes, the authors processed the results of a survey made among students during and after completion of the studies in a series of 70 recommended pathological conditions. As an example the authors compare results of observations in 20 selected pathological conditions important for the diagnosis and therapy in primary care in the final stage of the medical course in 1981 and 1985.