1. Breaking bad news: an active learning method for medical students.
- Author
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Polivka L, Delcour C, Dufresne H, Bartoli S, Bataille P, Bekel L, Bonigen J, Deladrière E, Dimarcq S, Felix A, Havas C, Le Goff H, Levy M, Riback E, Welfringer-Morin A, Houdouin V, Hadj-Rabia S, Bodemer C, Faye A, and Melki I
- Subjects
- Humans, Female, Male, Communication, Education, Medical, Undergraduate methods, Educational Measurement, Clinical Competence, Students, Medical psychology, Problem-Based Learning, Truth Disclosure, Physician-Patient Relations
- Abstract
Background: Breaking bad news is one of the most difficult aspects of communication in medicine. The objective of this study was to assess the relevance of a novel active learning course on breaking bad news for fifth-year students., Methods: Students were divided into two groups: Group 1, the intervention group, participated in a multidisciplinary formative discussion workshop on breaking bad news with videos, discussions with a pluri-professional team, and concluding with the development of a guide on good practice in breaking bad news through collective intelligence; Group 2, the control group, received no additional training besides conventional university course. The relevance of discussion-group-based active training was assessed in a summative objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) station particularly through the students' communication skills., Results: Thirty-one students were included: 17 in Group 1 and 14 in Group 2. The mean (range) score in the OSCE was significantly higher in Group 1 than in Group 2 (10.49 out of 15 (7; 13) vs. 7.80 (4.75; 12.5), respectively; p = 0.0007). The proportion of students assessed by the evaluator to have received additional training in breaking bad news was 88.2% (15 of the 17) in Group 1 and 21.4% (3 of the 14) in Group 2 (p = 0.001). The intergroup differences in the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale and Jefferson Scale of Empathy scores were not significant, and both scores were not correlated with the students' self-assessed score for success in the OSCE., Conclusion: Compared to the conventional course, this new active learning method for breaking bad news was associated with a significantly higher score in a summative OSCE. A longer-term validation study is needed to confirm these exploratory data., (© 2024. The Author(s).)
- Published
- 2024
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