Teaching the difficult interview in a required course on medical interviewing.

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Communication Skills
• Patient Interviewing

Background:

• Difficult doctor-patient interactions pose challenges in medical education.
• Effective patient interviewing is crucial for obtaining accurate medical histories.
• Second-year medical students require training in managing complex interviews.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and implement a training module for difficult patient interviews.
• To equip students with skills to identify and resolve interview problems.
• To enhance students' ability to obtain reliable medical histories from challenging patients.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a classification system for difficult doctor-patient interactions.
• Employed simulated patient interviews for practical skill development.
• Taught students to recognize and interpret their emotional responses during interviews.

Main Results:

• Students learned to pinpoint specific issues within interviews.
• Students practiced techniques to overcome interview challenges.
• A shift in attitude was observed, recognizing that interview problems can stem from both patient and physician.

Conclusions:

• The module effectively trains students in managing difficult patient interviews.
• Focusing on information acquisition, rather than counseling, improves history taking.
• Physicians must recognize their role in 'poor historian' scenarios.