Teaching interviewing skills to pediatric house officers

Interviewing skills of 34 pediatric house officers were compared with those of five practicing members of the clinical faculty. Interviews with a programmed mother were videotaped to evaluate physician-patient interaction, data gathering, hypothesis formation and provision of therapy education, reassurance, support, and anticipatory guidance. In addition, eight pediatric interns (PL-Is) were assigned to a study group and five to a control group at the beginning of their outpatient department rotation. The study group received feedback after the videotaped interviews and a 1 1/2-hour didactic session designed to teach interviewing skills. The control group received neither feedback nor the didactic session. Both groups were reevaluated at the end of the outpatient department rotation, again using the videotaped interview technique. Results showed that data-gathering ability increased significantly; that the focus of attention shifted from a more disease-oriented to a more patient-oriented interview; that data were obtained by means of less direct, less leading questions; and that more support and reassurance were provided as the level of training and experience increased. After the outpatient department rotation, members of both the study group and the control group of PL-1s had improved significantly and approached the proficiency-level of practicing pediatricians.