Bedside Teaching and Feedback in Psychiatry: Using Open Dialogue Strategies on an Inpatient Psychotic Disorders Unit

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Psychiatry
• Communication Skills

Background:

• Bedside teaching is crucial for developing clinical and communication skills in psychiatry.
• Bedside rounding has decreased in teaching hospitals due to time constraints and perceived inefficiency.
• Barriers to bedside teaching include time limitations, perceived inefficiency, and trainee discomfort.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the use of dialogic practice as a novel teaching tool in psychiatry inpatient rounds.
• To demonstrate how dialogic practice can be integrated into bedside teaching to overcome common barriers.
• To highlight the benefits of dialogic practice for both learners and patients.

Main Methods:

• Dialogic practice, derived from Finland's Open Dialogue approach, was adapted as a teaching method.
• Teaching was integrated directly into the patient interview during bedside rounds.
• Attending psychiatrists intervened with teaching points and returned the interview to the trainee.

Main Results:

• Dialogic practice effectively integrates feedback and teaching into clinical care.
• Patients felt more included in discussions about their treatment.
• Learners received immediate, real-time feedback integrated into the ongoing interview.

Conclusions:

• Dialogic teaching is an efficient method for bedside teaching in psychiatry.
• This approach models valuable skills, respects patients and learners, and enhances engagement.
• Implementation requires a psychologically safe learning environment.