Abstract
Otoscopy is an important skill for the general practitioner, yet skill in the technique is rarely assessed formally at undergraduate level. This study aimed to assess the effect of teaching on the acquisition of otoscopic skill. Thirty-five medical students were assessed prospectively during their ENT attachments. Seventeen students were randomized to the standard course and 18 attended an additional seminar on otoscopy. Students' confidence was assessed for various aspects of otoscopy using a visual analogue scale, and clinical skill was assessed in examining four patients. Assessments took place at the beginning and end of the course. Students gained in their confidence and skill for all parameters, although the clinical ability to distinguish normal from abnormal tympanic membranes changed little from baseline levels. Extra teaching produced better gains in confidence (P less than 0.05) and skill (P less than 0.01) in identifying specific features of the tympanic membrane and eliminated errors of the 'false negative' variety. A minimal investment in teaching effort produces appreciable gains in students' otoscopic skills. This has implication for the planning of undergraduate ENT courses and vocational training for general practice.
Full text
PDF
Selected References
These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.
- Aitken R. C. Measurement of feelings using visual analogue scales. Proc R Soc Med. 1969 Oct;62(10):989–993. doi: 10.1177/003591576906201005. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Ganzel T. M., Martinez S. A. Are we teaching medical students what they need to know? Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 1989 Apr;100(4):339–344. doi: 10.1177/019459988910000416. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Lund V. J. Otolaryngology in the curriculum--10 years on: discussion paper. J R Soc Med. 1990 Jun;83(6):377–379. doi: 10.1177/014107689008300613. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Morris P. D., Pracy R. Training for ENT problems in general practice. Practitioner. 1983 Jun;227(1380):995–999. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Neil J. F. Otolaryngology in the curriculum. J R Soc Med. 1979 Aug;72(8):551–552. doi: 10.1177/014107687907200802. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Rivron R. P., Clayton M. I. ENT teaching. Clin Otolaryngol Allied Sci. 1988 Apr;13(2):133–137. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2273.1988.tb00753.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]