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Breaking Bad News: A Randomized Trial Assessing Resident Performance After Novel Video Instruction
Anthony Shanks1, Maria Brann2, Jennifer Bute2
1Obstetrics and Gynecology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, USA.
Cureus
|July 14, 2021
Summary
An educational video on delivering bad news showed a small, not statistically significant, improvement in resident performance during objective structured clinical examinations (OSCEs). The video may be more effective for interns and graduating medical students.
Area of Science:
- Medical Education
- Communication Skills Training
Background:
- Delivering bad news is a critical physician skill, often honed through patient interactions.
- Objective Structured Clinical Examinations (OSCEs) are utilized annually to assess resident proficiency in clinical scenarios.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop an educational video for teaching the skill of delivering bad news.
- To evaluate the impact of a pre-OSCE educational video on resident performance.
Main Methods:
- A four-minute educational video highlighting best practices for delivering bad news was created.
- Residents were randomized to watch the video before or after a standardized patient encounter.
- Performance was assessed by masked reviewers using Likert scales measuring empathy, attention, and understanding.
Main Results:
- Residents who viewed the video pre-OSCE scored slightly higher (37.01) than the control group (35.38).
- The observed difference in mean scores was not statistically significant (Hedges' g = 0.37).
Conclusions:
- The educational video provided a small, non-significant improvement in OSCE performance.
- The video serves as a useful, quick educational tool, potentially better suited for interns and graduating medical students.
