Simulation-Based Teaching to Improve Cardiovascular Exam Skills Performance Among Third-Year Medical Students

Abstract

Background: Evidence supports the need for improvement in cardiac physical examination skills training. Purpose: This study evaluates whether the addition of simulation offers added benefit over training utilizing standardized patients only. Methods: All 124 third-year students who completed the required clerkship in one academic year received cardiac examination skills training utilizing a standardized patient and a cardiac simulator. The control group, comprising 281 students from 2 previous academic years, received training utilizing a standardized patient only. All students’ physical exam skills were assessed in an objective structured clinical examination. Results: Students trained with cardiac simulation performed significantly better than the control group in all 5 cardiac skills. The number of students who correctly performed all 5 cardiac exam skills increased significantly (p= .004). Pulmonary exam skills were unchanged. Conclusion: The use of simulation in addition to standardized patient teaching can improve students’ performance of cardiac examination skills.

Acknowledgments

We thank Marco Carnemolla for data management on this project and Alexander Chessman, MD for his comments on earlier drafts of the manuscript. Donna Kern, MD, had full access to all of the data in the study and takes responsibility for the integrity of the data and the accuracy of the data analysis.