Effect of a program to increase the cognitive level of questions asked in clinical postconferences

This study examined the effect of a program to increase the percentage of cognitively high-level questions asked in clinical postconference. Fourteen faculty and the students in their clinical groups comprised the convenience sample. Pre- and postintervention data on the cognitive level of questions asked by the treatment (N = 10) and control (N = 4) groups were collected by way of audiotapes. Treatment group faculty participated in an intervention designed to improve their use of questions. Prior to the intervention, there was no statistically significant difference in the cognitive level of questions asked by faculty or students in the treatment and control groups. Following the intervention, faculty in the treatment group asked a statistically significant higher percentage of cognitively high-level questions (p = 0.012 [one-tailed]), but there was no statistically significant difference between the students in the treatment and control groups.