Structured observation summaries : educational interest in the teaching of pulmonology

The structured observation summary (SOS) is a method of active case-based learning, whose diagnosis is known to learners.

To assess the value of SOS in the learning of clinical reasoning in pulmonology among first year students of the second cycle of medical studies.

This was a descriptive cross-sectional study. Teaching was provided to 3 groups of students in three sessions per group in the staff room of the pneumology department of Charles Nicolle Hospital in Tunis, during the second semester of the 2019/2020 academic year. We compared the scores assigned to a given test before and at the end of the session to assess knowledge acquisition. The students filled out a satisfaction questionnaire at the end of the session.

We held 9 tutorial sessions in which 30 learners participated and 78 SOSs were completed. The subjects chosen were respectively tuberculosis, pneumothorax, and fluid pleurisy. After correcting the SOS cards, we saw an improvement in averages and scores during the sessions. Learners found no difficulty in completing the items relating to historical data and physical examination. The section relating to «particularities to report» was not completed throughout the sessions. By comparing the scores assigned to the test before and at the end of the session, a statistically significant improvement was noted for the 3 themes with p=0.003, p=0.001, p=0.002, respectively. The response to the satisfaction questionnaire revealed that most students were satisfied with the general learning process (95%). They judged the content of the sessions to be relevant (95%) and felt that this teaching facilitated the process of their clinical reasoning (97%).

The satisfaction recorded by the students regarding this project invites us to extend its scope. However, some changes need to be made to the SOS form.