Abstract
Objective
Effective communication strategies are required to assess suicide risk. The authors determined whether a 2-hour simulated-patient activity during a psychiatry clerkship improved self-assessment of medical interviewing skills relevant to suicide risk-assessment.
Methods
In the 2-hour simulated-patient intervention, at least one psychiatrist, a non-clinician communication expert, and a specifically-trained simulated patient worked with groups of 4–6 students to address student-identified challenges with patient encounters involving suicide risk-assessment. Six of twelve clerkships between July 2010 and October 2011 were assigned to this educational intervention in addition to a communications curriculum.
Results
On a retrospective pre—post self-assessment, the 61 of 118 students assigned to the intervention group reported greater improvements in relevant skills. The process of discovering/responding to patients’ feelings and identifying/addressing verbal and nonverbal cues specifically improved.
Conclusion
The psychiatry clerkship provides a unique opportunity to reinforce and develop communications skills with a formal, skills-based curriculum.
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Fiedorowicz, J.G., Tate, J., Miller, A.C. et al. A Medical Interviewing Curriculum Intervention for Medical Students’ Assessment of Suicide Risk. Acad Psychiatry 37, 398–401 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03340077
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03340077