[Comparison between two educative strategies for clinical aptitude in unknown origin fever]

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Internal Medicine
• Clinical Skills Development

Background:

• Effective strategies are needed to enhance clinical skills in internal medicine residents (IMR).
• Patients with fever of unknown origin (CAFUO) present complex diagnostic challenges.
• Evaluating educational interventions is crucial for improving resident training.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the effectiveness of a participative educative strategy (PES) compared to a passive strategy.
• To evaluate the impact on the development of clinical skills in internal medicine residents (IMR).
• To specifically target skills related to the study of patients with fever of unknown origin (CAFUO).

Main Methods:

• Twenty-two internal medicine residents (IMR) were randomized into two groups: passive strategy (Group I) and participative educative strategy (PES) (Group II).
• A 144-item multiple-choice questionnaire based on six clinical cases was used for assessment.
• Assessments were administered pre- and post-intervention, with expert review and pilot testing.

Main Results:

• No significant differences in clinical skills were observed between the groups or between pre- and post-intervention assessments within the passive group.
• The participative educative strategy (PES) group showed significant improvement in global results post-intervention.
• Specific clinical cases demonstrated statistically significant improvements in Group II (PES) for cases 1, 2, 4, and 6, while Group I (passive) showed improvement only in case 2.

Conclusions:

• Both the participative educative strategy (PES) and the passive strategy were found to be useful in enhancing resident learning.
• Internal medicine residents (IMR) developed comparable aptitude regardless of the educational strategy employed.
• The study suggests that active engagement may offer specific advantages in certain clinical scenarios within CAFUO.