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The nursing home as a site for teaching medical students
1Department of Medicine, University of Rochester School of Medicine, New York.
Abstract:
The nursing home was evaluated as a site for introductory teaching of the interview and physical examination to medical students. Using questionnaires, the authors compared the 1986-1988 experiences of 106 students in nursing homes with those of 171 students in hospitals and found that carefully selected patients in the two settings were equally able to cooperate; patient availability was better in the nursing homes. Although fewer nursing home patients had a traditional "present illness," most students interviewing them were able to identify a predominant illness to characterize. The authors conclude that the nursing home is an appropriate alternative site for teaching the medical interview and physical diagnosis.