gms | German Medical Science

Introduction: Recently, routinely performed on-ward supervision covering important basic clinical skills has been introduced at our clinic [1]. The aim of this study was to establish and evaluate the method of video-based on-ward supervision for final year students as video-feedback is known to be a potential stimulus for behavioral modification.

Methods: Final year students (n=9) performed routine medical skills at bedside while being video-taped, with a supervisor being present. An oral feedback loop was following, including student, patient and supervisor feedback concerning communicative and procedural aspects of skills performed. Finally, students watched their video with focus on specific teachable moments, which were mentioned by the supervisor beforehand. Written evaluation forms and semi-structured interviews with focus on the benefits of video-based on-ward supervision were used.

Results: 9 final year medical students and 8 patients participated. Supervised skills included history taking (n=6), physical examination (n=1), IV cannulation (n=1), and ECG writing (n=1). The method was very well accepted by both patients and students. Feedback given by the supervisor was rated as most helpful tool, with video giving the opportunity to focus on certain improvable aspects and to validate supervisor’s feedback. Students felt that video without the supervisor’s feedback beforehand would have been less helpful. Setting was rated as being realistic, with video-taping not influencing behavior.

Discussion/conclusion: Video-based on-ward supervision appears to be a powerful tool for improving practical medical education, when combined with feedback given by the supervisor before the video is being watched. Acceptance is equally high with students and patients. Therefore, video-based on-ward supervision has become part of the curriculum for our final year medical students.