Small Steps in Impacting Clinical Auscultation of Medical Students. (14th September 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Binka, Edem K.; Lewin, Linda O.; Gaskin, Peter R.
• Is Part Of: Global pediatric health. Volume 3(2016)
• Publication Date: 2016-09-14
• Subjects: cardiac auscultation -- heart murmurs -- medical students -- intervention -- diastolic murmurs; Pediatrics -- Periodicals; Children -- Health and hygiene -- Periodicals; 618.92
• DOI: 10.1177/2333794X16669013
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2333-794X

Abstract

The objective of this study was to determine if a training module improves the auscultation skills of medical students at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. Second-year medical students completed pretests on 12 heart sounds followed by a 45-minute training module on clinical auscultation, with retesting immediately after the intervention and during their third-year pediatrics clerkship. The control group consisted of third-year medical students who did not have the intervention. There was a 23% improvement in the identification of heart sounds postintervention ( P < .001). Diastolic and valvular murmurs were poorly identified pre- and post intervention. There was a 6% decline in accuracy of the intervention group in the following academic year. The intervention group was superior to the control group at identifying the tested heart sounds (49% vs 43%, P = .04). The accuracy of second-year medical students in identifying heart sounds improved after a brief training module.