Dreyfus scale-based feedback increased medical students’ satisfaction with the complex cluster part of a interviewing and physical examination course and improved skills readiness in Taiwan

Abstract

Purpose

In contrast to the core part of the clinical interviewing and physical examination (PE) skills course, corresponding to the basic, head-to-toe, and thoracic systems, learners need structured feedback in the cluster part of the course, which includes the gastrointestinal, neuromuscular, and musculoskeletal systems. This study evaluated the effects of using Dreyfus scale-based feedback, which has elements of continuous professional development, instead of Likert scale-based feedback in the cluster part of training in Taiwan.

Methods

Instructors and final-year medical students in the 2015–2016 classes of National Yang-Ming University, Taiwan comprised the regular cohort, whereas those in the 2017–2018 classes formed the intervention cohort. In the intervention cohort, Dreyfus scale-based feedback, rather than Likert scale-based feedback, was used in the cluster part of the course.

Results

In the cluster part of the course in the regular cohort, pre-trained standardized patients rated the class climate as poor, and students expressed low satisfaction with the instructors and course and low self-assessed readiness. In comparison with the regular cohort, improved end-of-course group objective structured clinical examination scores after the cluster part were noted in the intervention cohort. In other words, the implementation of Dreyfus scale-based feedback in the intervention cohort for the cluster part improved the deficit in this section of the course.

Conclusion

The implementation of Dreyfus scale-based feedback helped instructors to create a good class climate in the cluster part of the clinical interviewing and PE skills course. Simultaneously, this new intervention achieved the goal of promoting medical students’ readiness for interviewing, PE, and self-directed learning.