gms | German Medical Science

Research in Medical Education – Chances and Challenges International Conference

20.05. - 22.05.2009, Heidelberg

Concept of a Longitudinal Skills Lab Curriculum

Meeting Abstract

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  • corresponding author Elisabeth Kruppa - University of Heidelberg, Medical Hospital, Department of General Internal and Psychosomatic Medicine, Heidelberg, Germany
  • author Jana Jünger - University of Heidelberg, Medical Hospital, Department of General Internal and Psychosomatic Medicine, Heidelberg, Germany
  • author Christoph Nikendei - University of Heidelberg, Medical Hospital, Department of General Internal and Psychosomatic Medicine, Heidelberg, Germany

Research in Medical Education - Chances and Challenges 2009. Heidelberg, 20.-22.05.2009. Düsseldorf: German Medical Science GMS Publishing House; 2009. Doc09rmeE2

doi: 10.3205/09rme22, urn:nbn:de:0183-09rme221

Published: May 5, 2009

© 2009 Kruppa et al.
This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/deed.en). You are free: to Share – to copy, distribute and transmit the work, provided the original author and source are credited.


Poster

Introduction: Training of clinical technical competencies within medical education has gained in importance. The effectiveness of medical skills lab training has been established using a variety of assessment tools [1]. Some studies have shown that skills lab training impacts later clinical work, leading e.g. to an increase in the frequency of medical procedures performed on ward, an improvement in patient safety, and enhancement of the physician-patient relationship. Other factors strengthen the need of skills laboratories as reduced patient availability, limited faculty teaching time or greater attention to patient safety [2]. To reach an optimal outcome it is considered important to define learning goals, to use check lists for peer feedback, to support context depended learning by introducing role-play and case studies [3]. A further challenge is to be seen in developing longitudinal skills lab curricula to stimulate longitudinal skills learning in medical students.

Aim: To display the implementation of a longitudinal skills lab curriculum at the Medical Faculty at the University of Heidelberg.

Method: Work of the longitudinal skills lab curriculum team consists of stock taking, coordination and methodological development of lessons that convey clinical competencies at the Medical Faculty of Heidelberg. Furthermore the team focuses on the purchase of learning materials for training sessions, development of tutorial programs and training staff courses.

Results: The following milestones were reached since the start of the longitudinal skills lab curriculum team in summer 2007: After a stock taking of all clinical skills training at the faculty, the network of the different departments involved in skills teaching was emphasised by introducing regular meetings. The consulting service for didactical questions was used to improve existing trainings. Skills-Lab Readers with checklists for peer-feedback and training scenarios for context dependent learning were provided for the different departments at the Medical Faculty. For a variety of clinical skills we developed interdisciplinary longitudinal thematic subjects reaching from 1st term up to the final year:

  • longitudinal curriculum for physical examination
  • longitudinal curriculum for sonography
  • longitudinal curriculum for emergency management

Conclusion: To stimulate students longitudinal learning it is considered important to coordinate different skills lab sessions at a faculty. To implement continuous learning in to the curriculum it’s necessary to involve all responsible coordinators of the different departments.


References

1.
Lynagh M, Burton R, Sanson-Fisher R. A systematic review of medical skills laboratory training: where to from here? Med Educ. 2007;41(9):879-887. DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2923.2007.02821.x. External link
2.
Scalese RJ, Obeso VT, Issenberg SB. Simulation technology for skills training and competency assessment in medical education. J Gen Intern Med. 2008;23(Suppl1):46-49. DOI: 10.1007/s11606-007-0283-4. External link
3.
Nikendei C, Zeuch A, Dieckmann P, Roth C, Schäfer S, Völkl M, Schellberg D, Herzog W, Jünger J. Role-playing for more realistic technical skills training. Med Teach. 2005;27(2):122-126. DOI: 10.1080/01421590400019484. External link