[Training in iterative hypothesis testing as part of XXXX education. A randomized study].

@entity1 @entity308 @entity146 @entity11548 @entity148 @entity3419 @entity3119
BACKGROUND: The improvement of medical education is at the center of efforts to reform the studies of medicine. Furthermore, an excellent teaching program for students is a quality feature of medical universities. Besides teaching of disease-specific contents, the acquisition of interpersonal and decision-making skills is important. However, the cognitive style of senior physicians leading to a diagnosis cannot easily be taught. Therefore, the following study aimed at examining whether specific training in iterative hypothesis testing (IHT) may improve the correctness of the diagnostic process. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Seventy-one medical students in their 9th-11th terms were randomized to medical teaching as usual or to IHT training for 4  weeks. The intervention group received specific training according to the method of IHT. All students were examined by a multiple choice (MC) exam and additionally by simulated @entity1 (SP). The SPs were instructed to represent either a @entity1 with @entity308 and comorbid @entity148 and substance use disorder ( @entity3419 ) or to represent a @entity1 with @entity308 , @entity3119 and acute suicidal tendencies ( @entity11548 ). RESULTS: All students identified the diagnosis of @entity308 in the SPs, but IHT-trained students recognized more diagnostic criteria. Furthermore, IHT-trained students recognized acute suicide tendencies in @entity11548 more often and identified more comorbid @entity146 . The results of the MC exam were comparable in both groups. An analysis of the satisfaction with the different training programs revealed that the IHT training received a better appraisal. CONCLUSIONS: Our results point to the role of IHT in teaching diagnostic skills. However, the results of the MC exam were not influenced by IHT training. Furthermore, our results show that students are in need of training in practical clinical skills.
