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Medical education research focuses on the development of efficient learning methods promoting the acquisition of student’s knowledge and competencies. Evaluation of any modification of educational approaches needs to be evaluated accordingly and a reliable effect size needs to be reached. Our aim is to provide a methodological basis to calculate effect sizes from longitudinal progress test data that can be used as reference values in further research. We used longitudinally collected progress test data and evaluated the increasing knowledge of medical students from the first to the fifth academic year. Students were asked to participate in the progress test, which consists of 200 multiple-choice questions in single best answer format with an additional ‘don’t know’ option. All available individual test scores of all progress tests (n = 10) administered between April 2012 and October 2017 were analyzed. Due to the large amount of missing test results, e.g., from students at the beginning of their studies, a linear mixed model was fitted to include all collected data. In total, we analyzed 6324 test scores provided by 2587 medical students. Mean score for medical knowledge (% correct answers) increases from 16.6% (SD: 10.8%) to 51.0% (SD: 15.7%, overall effects size using linear mixed models d = 1.55). Medical students showed a learning effect of d = 0.54 (total gain: 6.9%) between the 1st and 2nd, d = 0.88 (total gain: 12.0%) between the 2nd and 3rd, d = 0.60 (total gain: 7.9%) between the 3rd and 4th and d = 0.58 (total gain: 7.9%) between the 4th and 5th study year. We demonstrated that incomplete data from longitudinally collected progress tests can be used to acquire reliable effect size estimates. The demonstrated effects size between d = 0.53–0.9 by study year may help researchers to design studies in medical education.

Background The responsibility for helping patients understand potential health benefits and risks, especially regarding screening tests, falls largely to general practitioners (GPs). The Berlin Numeracy Test (BNT) specifically measures risk literacy (i.e., the ability to understand different aspects of statistical numeracy associated with accurate interpretation of information about risks). This study explored the association between risk literacy levels and clinical experience in GPs vs. medical students. Additionally, the effect of GP risk literacy on evaluation of the predictive value of screening tests was examined. Methods The participants were 84 GPs and 92 third-year medical students who completed the BNT (total score range 0–4 points). The GPs received an additional case scenario on mammography screening as a simple measure of performance in applying numeracy skills. Results Despite having an average of 25.9 years of clinical experience, GPs scored no better than medical students on risk literacy (GPs: 2.33 points, 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.08–2.59; students: 2.34, 95% CI 2.07–2.61; P = .983). Of all GPs, 71.6% (n = 58) greatly overestimated the real predictive value. Conclusions In this study, we found no difference in risk literacy between current students and current GPs. GPs lack risk literacy and consequently do not fully understand numeric estimates of probability in routine screening procedures.

Es gibt keine validen Daten über qualitative Anforderungen an Arztbriefe (AB) aus Sicht der Rezipienten. AB als Berichte über ambulante und stationäre Behandlungen werden täglich millionenfach von Fachärzten erstellt. Ob und inwieweit sich Pneumologen hier von anderen (Fach)-Ärzten unterscheiden, ist nicht bekannt.

Objective: The German Patients' Rights Act (PRA), promulgated on February 25, 2013, was created to enhance transparency of patients' rights. This prospective study aimed to objectively measure physicians' comprehension of the PRA. Methods: We generated a controlled study design, developing a questionnaire consisting of six case scenarios with 4–7 dichotomous items each. The survey concluded with seven 5-point-Likert scale questions, dealing with the PRA’s effects. Physicians teaching at the Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität (WWU) Münster served as the intervention group, and medical students from WWU Münster at the beginning of their clinical education formed the control group. Physicians were surveyed in November 2015; students were surveyed in February 2016. Results: A total 56 completed surveys of physicians and 134 of students were analyzed. Of a total 33 points, on average physicians answered 21.04 (95% confidence interval (CI) 20.43–21.64) items correctly, a significantly higher result than students' 19.74 (95% CI 19.31–20.17) points (p

Background Performance of sufficient cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) by medical personnel is critical to improve outcomes during cardiac arrest. It has however been shown that even health care professionals possess a lack of knowledge and skills in CPR performance. The optimal method for teaching CPR remains unclear, and data that compares traditional CPR instructional methods with newer modalities of CPR instruction are needed. We therefore conducted a single blinded, randomised study involving medical students in order to evaluate the short- and long-term effects of a classical CPR education compared with a bilateral approach to CPR training, consisting of problem-based learning (PBL) plus high fidelity simulation. Methods One hundred twelve medical students were randomized during a curricular anaesthesiology course to a control (n = 54) and an intervention (n = 58) group. All participants were blinded to group assignment and partook in a 30-min-lecture on CPR basics. Subsequently, the control group participated in a 90-min tutor-guided CPR hands-on-training. The intervention group took part in a 45-min theoretical PBL module followed by 45 min of high fidelity simulated CPR training. The rate of participants recognizing clinical cardiac arrest followed by sufficiently performed CPR was the primary outcome parameter of this study. CPR performance was evaluated after the intervention. In addition, a follow-up evaluation was conducted after 6 months. Results 51.9% of the intervention group met the criteria of sufficiently performed CPR as compared to only 12.5% in the control group on the day of the intervention (p = 0.007). Hands-off-time as a marker for CPR continuity was significantly less in the intervention group (24.0%) as compared to the control group (28.3%, p = 0.007, Hedges’ g = 1.55). At the six-month follow-up, hands-off-time was still significantly lower in the intervention group (23.7% vs. control group: 31.0%, p = 0.006, Hedges’ g = 1.88) but no significant difference in sufficiently performed CPR was detected (intervention group: 71.4% vs. control group: 54.5%, p = 0.55). Conclusion PBL combined with high fidelity simulation training leads to a measurable short-term increase in initiating sufficient CPR by medical students immediately after training as compared to classical education. At six month post instruction, these differences remained only partially. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s12909-019-1626-7) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Objective: To establish and evaluate a new approach to teach medical students on how to assess brain death in patients. Methods: 120 4th year medical students of the Medical School Münster (Germany) participated in a 1-hour lecture on how to assess brain death in patients. After this lecture,[for full text, please go to the a.m. URL], 63. Jahrestagung der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Neurochirurgie (DGNC), Joint Meeting mit der Japanischen Gesellschaft für Neurochirurgie (JNS)

Background: To diagnose Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia (PCP), PCR testing in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid has recently become an alternative to immunofluorescence testing (IFT); however, its diagnostic accuracy is less clear. Objective: To analyze the diagnostic value of a new semiquantitative real-time PCR (RT-PCR) in BAL in a real-life clinical setting. Methods: Retrospective analysis of all RT-PCR results [semiquantitative: negative, weakly positive, and strongly positive; measured in cycle thresholds (Ct)] in BAL in the period between 2010 and 2014. The diagnosis of PCP was defined by clinical, radiological, and laboratory signs and by treatment initiation. Any positive PCR was compared with subsequent IFT. Results: Of 128 patient samples, 32 had PCP. There is a relevant correlation of high significance between positive PCR Ct and IFT (r = -0.7781, p < 0.001), which amounts to about 60% of the variance. Sensitivity, specificity, and positive predictive values (PPV) of any positive RT-PCR were 100, 80, and 63%, respectively. No patient with negative RT-PCR had PCP. Specificity and PPV are 100% in strongly positive RT-PCR, whereas they decrease to 80 and 21% in weakly positive RT-PCR. Conclusion: A negative RT-PCR (Ct >45) rules out PCP. A strongly positive PCR (Ct

Objective. Although doctors’ discharge summaries (DS) are important forms of communication between the physicians in patient care, deficits in the quality of DS are common. This review aims to answer the following question: according to the literature, how can the quality of DS be improved by 1) interventions; 2) reviews and guidelines of regulatory bodies; and 3) other practical recommendations? Methods. Systematic review of the literature. Results. The scientific papers on optimizing the quality of DS (n = 234) are heterogeneous and do not allow any meta-analysis. The interventional studies revealed that a structured approach of writing, educational training including feedback and the use of a checklist are effective methods. Guidelines are helpful for outlining the key characteristics of DS. Additionally, the articles in the literature provided practical proposals on improving form, structure, clinical content, treatment recommendations, follow-up plan, medications and changes, addressees, patient data, length, language, dictation, electronic processing and timeliness of DS. Conclusion. The literature review revealed various possibilities for improving the quality of DS.

Grundlagen Das Erstellen guter Arztbriefe macht vor allem Berufsanfangern Schwierigkeiten. Seit funf Jahren lehren wir das Verfassen von Arztbriefen im vierten Studienjahr. Ziel ist es, unseren Studenten den Start in die klinische Arbeit zu erleichtern und ihnen gleichzeitig ein Schema an die Hand zu geben, sich Krankengeschichten besser zu merken. Zwei Jahre nach der Ubung baten wir unsere Absolventen, die Ubung hinsichtlich ihres Lerneffektes und klinischen Nutzens zu bewerten.

Auscultation torsos are widely used to teach position-dependent heart sounds and murmurs. To provide a more realistic teaching experience, both whole body auscultation mannequins and torsos have been used in clinical examination skills training at the Medical Faculty of the University of Muenster since the winter term of 2008–2009. This training has since been extended by simulated patients, which are normal, healthy subjects who have undergone attachment of the electronic components of the auscultation mannequins to their chests to mimic pathophysiological conditions (“hybrid models”). The acceptance of this new learning method was examined in the present pilot study. In total, 143 students in their second preclinical year who were participating in auscultation training were randomized into an intervention group (hybrid models) and a control group (auscultation mannequins). One hundred forty-two (99.3%) of these students completed a self-assessment Likert-scale questionnaire regarding different teaching approaches (where 1 = “very poor” to 100 = “very good”). The questionnaire focused on the “value of learning” of different teaching approaches. Direct comparison showed that students evaluated the hybrid models to be significantly more effective than the auscultation mannequins (median: 83 vs. 64, P < 0.001). The cardiac auscultation training was generally assessed positively (median: 88). Additionally, verbal feedback was obtained from simulated patients and tutors (trained students who had successfully passed the course a few semesters earlier). Personal feedback showed high satisfaction from student tutors and simulated patients. Hybrid simulators for teaching cardiac auscultation elucidated positive responses from students, tutors, and simulated patients.

Preparing high quality discharge summaries is difficult for first year residents. For 5 years we have been training fourth year students how to write discharge summaries. Our goal is to facilitate the students' start into clinical work. Moreover, we intend to provide the students with a scheme to better memorize patients' histories. Two years after the tutorial the graduates were asked to evaluate the tutorial and to comment on its learning effects.A total of 1228 fourth year students wrote a discharge summary on a patient in whose care the specific student was involved during his or her training in internal medicine. All summaries were read, commented on and graded by a consultant. Two years after the tutorial 310 graduates were invited to complete an online survey on this tutorial.106 (34%) of all invited graduates completed the survey. The opinions on the tutorial greatly differed. In principal the students agreed that the tutorial was an important part of medical training and helped to better structure patients' medical data. The majority of the surveyed graduates, however, were not convinced of its practical usefulness for daily work. The students with the poorer grading found their grade less appropriate than the students with the better grading.Though our main goal could not be achieved in the view of the graduates, the overall opinion was rather positive. Problems with this kind of tutorial lay in the enormous effort of correction and in the discouraging effect of grading on the students with difficulties in the task.

INTRODUCTION: Simulation as a tool for medical education has gained considerable importance in the past years. Various studies have shown that the mastering of basic skills happens best if taught in a realistic and workplace-based context. It is necessary that simulation itself takes place in the realistic background of a genuine clinical or in an accordingly simulated learning environment. METHODS: A panoramic projection system that allows the simulation of different scenarios has been created at the medical school of the Westphalian Wilhelms-University Muenster/Germany. The SimuScape© is a circular training room of six meters in diameter and has the capacity to generate pictures or moving images as well as the corresponding background noises for medical students, who are then able to interact with simulated patients inside a realistic environment. RESULTS: About 1,000 students have been instructed using the SimuScape© in the courses of emergency medicine, family medicine and anesthesia. The SimuScape©, with its 270°-panoramic projection, gives the students the impression “of being right in the center of action”. It is a flexible learning environment that can be easily integrated into curricular teaching and which is in full operation for 10 days per semester. CONCLUSION: The SimuScape© allows the establishment of new medical areas outside the hospital and surgery for simulation and it is an extremely adaptable and cost-effective utilization of a lecture room. In this simulated environment it is possible to teach objectives like self-protection and patient care during disturbing environmental influences in practice.

For successful communication of risk-related disease and treatment modalities, sufficient competence in risk literacy is important. Medical students who will soon be in the responsible role of physicians need to comprehend numeric estimates of probability in order to explain them understandably to patients. Therefore, we have examined the risk literacy among German medical students in a cross-sectional study with 600 participants from the first to the sixth year. Four hundred thirty-four complete datasets (72.35%) could be retrieved. The measuring instrument was the Berlin Numeracy Test, in which a maximum of 4 points could be obtained. Participants achieved an average score of 2.03 points, which is significantly higher than the score defined by the Berlin Numeracy Test (1.6 points). A slight increase from the first (2.00 points) to the sixth academic year (2.38) was detected, which was not significant. In addition, participants who made notes achieved significantly higher test results (2.45) tha...

Background: Tolerance of ambiguity, or the extent to which ambiguous situations are perceived as desirable, is an important component of the attitudes and behaviors of medical students. However, few studies have compared this trait across the years of medical school. General practitioners are considered to have a higher ambiguity tolerance than specialists. We compared ambiguity tolerance between general practitioners and medical students. Methods: We designed a cross-sectional study to evaluate the ambiguity tolerance of 622 medical students in the first to sixth academic years. We compared this with the ambiguity tolerance of 30 general practitioners. We used the inventory for measuring ambiguity tolerance (IMA) developed by Reis (1997), which includes three measures of ambiguity tolerance: openness to new experiences, social conflicts, and perception of insoluble problems. Results: We obtained a total of 564 complete data sets (return rate 90.1%) from medical students and 29 questionnaires (return rate 96.7%) from general practitioners. In relation to the reference groups defined by Reis (1997), medical students had poor ambiguity tolerance on all three scales. No differences were found between those in the first and the sixth academic years, although we did observe gender-specific differences in ambiguity tolerance. We found no differences in ambiguity tolerance between general practitioners and medical students. Conclusions: The ambiguity tolerance of the students that we assessed was below average, and appeared to be stable throughout the course of their studies. In contrast to our expectations, the general practitioners did not have a higher level of ambiguity tolerance than the students did.

Background Practicing evidence-based medicine is an important aspect of providing good medical care. Accessing external information through literature searches on computer-based systems can effectively achieve integration in clinical care. We conducted a pilot study using smartphones, tablets, and stationary computers as search devices at the bedside. The objective was to determine possible differences between the various devices and assess students’ internet use habits. Methods In a randomized controlled pilot study, 120 students were divided in three groups. One control group solved clinical problems on a computer and two intervention groups used mobile devices at the bedside. In a questionnaire, students were asked to report their internet use habits as well as their satisfaction with their respective search tool using a 5-point Likert scale. Results Of 120 surveys, 94 (78.3%) complete data sets were analyzed. The mobility of the tablet (3.90) and the smartphone (4.39) was seen as a significant advantage over the computer (2.38, p

Background. Physicians and medical students may lack sufficient numeracy skills to make treatment decisions, interpret test results, and practice evidence-based medicine. We evaluated whether the use of a tree diagram without numerical values as an aid for numerical processing might improve students’ test results when dealing with percentages. Methods. A prospective randomized study was carried out with 102 third-year students. Participants received 3 diagnostic test problems and were asked to determine positive predictive values. The information in these tests was expressed either in (1) natural frequencies, (2) conditional probabilities, or (3) conditional probabilities with a tree diagram without numbers. Results. Ninety-eight (96.1%) complete data sets could be obtained. The group working with natural frequencies achieved significantly higher test results ( n = 29, mean score: 1.1, P = 0.045) than the group working with conditional probabilities ( n = 34, mean score: 0.56). The students who were given a tree diagram in addition to conditional probabilities ( n = 35, mean score: 1.26) also achieved significantly better scores than the group with conditional probabilities alone ( P = 0.008). The difference between the group who had received natural frequencies and the group working with conditional probabilities and the tree diagram was not significant. Conclusions. We suggest the use of a tree diagram as a visual aid when dealing with diagnostic tests expressed in conditional probabilities.

BACKGROUND The 2010 Resuscitation Guidelines require high-quality chest compression and rapid defibrillation for patients with ventricular fibrillation with rhythm analysis and defibrillation repeated every 2 min. A lack of adherence to the guidelines by medical students was observed during simulated resuscitation training. OBJECTIVES To assess whether real-time cardiopulmonary resuscitation guidance, including an audiovisual countdown timer, a metronome, a display of the chest compression quality and voice prompts, might improve adherence to the guidelines by medical students. DESIGN Randomised cross-over simulation study. SETTING Studienhospital Munster, Faculty of Medicine University Munster, Germany PARTICIPANTS One hundred and forty-one medical students (fifth year) in 47 teams. INTERVENTION Simulated resuscitation with and without real-time cardiopulmonary resuscitation guidance. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES The preshock pause, postshock pause, fraction of time without chest compression and defibrillation intervals. Observed quality parameters were chest compression depth and chest compression rate. RESULTS With real-time cardiopulmonary resuscitation guidance, there were improved mean (SD) chest compression rates (105 ± 8 vs. 121 ± 12 bpm; P

Since the Winter Term 2008/2009 the Medical School of the University of Muenster, Germany, has used standardized patients in the clinical course Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy with fourth-year undergraduate students performing bio-psycho-social anamnesis on these standardized patients. We wanted to evaluate the influence of the course on the empathy of the students.A total of 107 students participated in the standardized patient program during the Winter Term 2009/2010, with 90 (84.1 %) completing the Jefferson Scale of Physician Empathy before and after the course. In addition, we conducted a standard evaluation of the medical faculty.The pre-post comparison revealed a significant increase in empathy (d = 0.331, p = .001). The standard evaluation yielded a high satisfaction among the course participants, though several students did assess the course critically.The implementation of a standardized patient program in psychosomatics and psychotherapy proved to be of value, since it increased empathy of the students and received a positive evaluation. To prevent the students from being humiliated, it is of particular importance to implement a gentle and tactful feedback.

Summary Evaluation of the clinical course “Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy” employing standardized patients Objective: Since the Winter Term 2008/2009 the Medical School of the University of Muenster, Germany, has used standardized patients in the clinical course “Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy” with fourth-year undergraduate students performing bio-psycho-social anamnesis on these standardized patients. We wanted to evaluate the influence of the course on students’ empathy. Methods: A total of 107 students participated in the standardized patient program during the Winter Term 2009/2010, with 90 (84.1 %) completing the Jefferson Scale of Physician Empathy before and after the course. In addition, we conducted a standard evaluation of the medical faculty. Results: The pre-post comparison revealed a significant increase in empathy (d = 0.331, p = .001). The standard evaluation yielded a high satisfaction among the course participants, though several students did assess the course critically. Conclusion: The implementation of a standardized patient program in psychosomatics and psychotherapy proved to be of value, since it increased students’ empathy and received a positive evaluation. To prevent the students from being humiliated, it is of particular importance to implement a gentle and tactful feedback. Z Psychosom Med Psychother 56/2010, 385–398

In dieser Studie wurde erstmalig unter Zuhilfenahme der Kriterien der International Headache Society eine Evaluation der Lebenszeit-Prävalenz von Migräne bei MS durchgeführt. Im Rahmen dieser Fall-Kontroll-Studie wurden 512 Patienten mit nach Poser-Kriterien diagnostizierter MS und 512 alters- und geschlechtsgematchte Personen eingeschlossen. Bei 71 der MS-Patienten (13,9%) konnte die Diagnose Migräne gestellt werden, während in der Kontrollgruppe bei 98 Patienten (19,1%) diese Diagnose zutraf. Dieser Unterschied ist statistisch signifikant (p=0,023). Bei der schubförmigen Verlaufsform der MS ließ sich bei 37 Patienten (18,9%), bei der primär chronischen und der sekundär chronischen Verlaufsform bei insgesamt 13 Patienten (9,6%) eine Migräne diagnostizieren. Dieser Unterschied ist ebenfalls statistisch signifikant (p=0,02). Daraus lässt sich folgern, dass für den Unterschied zwischen beiden Gruppen primär die niedrige Prävalenz bei den chronischen Verlaufsformen der MS verantwortlich ist.