Academic medicine : journal of the Association of American Medical Colleges
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Review
Empathy decline and its reasons: a systematic review of studies with medical students and residents.
Empathy is a key element of patient-physician communication; it is relevant to and positively influences patients' health. The authors systematically reviewed the literature to investigate changes in trainee empathy and reasons for those changes during medical school and residency. ⋯ The results of the reviewed studies, especially those with longitudinal data, suggest that empathy decline during medical school and residency compromises striving toward professionalism and may threaten health care quality. Theory-based investigations of the factors that contribute to empathy decline among trainees and improvement of the validity of self-assessment methods are necessary for further research.
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Review
Empathy decline and its reasons: a systematic review of studies with medical students and residents.
Empathy is a key element of patient-physician communication; it is relevant to and positively influences patients' health. The authors systematically reviewed the literature to investigate changes in trainee empathy and reasons for those changes during medical school and residency. ⋯ The results of the reviewed studies, especially those with longitudinal data, suggest that empathy decline during medical school and residency compromises striving toward professionalism and may threaten health care quality. Theory-based investigations of the factors that contribute to empathy decline among trainees and improvement of the validity of self-assessment methods are necessary for further research.
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Review Meta Analysis Comparative Study
Does simulation-based medical education with deliberate practice yield better results than traditional clinical education? A meta-analytic comparative review of the evidence.
This article presents a comparison of the effectiveness of traditional clinical education toward skill acquisition goals versus simulation-based medical education (SBME) with deliberate practice (DP). ⋯ Although the number of reports analyzed in this meta-analysis is small, these results show that SBME with DP is superior to traditional clinical medical education in achieving specific clinical skill acquisition goals. SBME is a complex educational intervention that should be introduced thoughtfully and evaluated rigorously at training sites. Further research on incorporating SBME with DP into medical education is needed to amplify its power, utility, and cost-effectiveness.
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Review Comparative Study
A systematic review of curricular interventions teaching transitional care to physicians-in-training and physicians.
To systematically review and describe published interventions about teaching continuity-of-care best practices, embodied by transitional care, to physician-trainees and physicians. ⋯ Proficiency in providing transitional care is an essential skill for medical practitioners. Historically, there have been few curricular interventions teaching this topic; however, recently a dramatic increase in the number of interventions has occurred. A diverse range of learners, modes of delivery, and intended objectives are represented. In establishing a pooled description of published interventions, this review provides a comprehensive and novel resource for educators charged with designing curricula for all medical professionals.
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One in four actively practicing physicians in the United States is a graduate of an international medical school. International medical graduates (IMGs) account for one-quarter of all visits to office-based physicians in the United States and are more likely than U. S. medical graduates to practice in primary care shortage areas outside of metropolitan statistical areas. ⋯ Using pain treatment as an exemplar, the authors contrast the capacity and emphasis placed on pain treatment in the United States and in major source countries of IMGs to illustrate the special clinical challenges faced by IMGs in their transition to U. S. practice. The authors conclude with recommendations to close this transitional gap, emphasizing the need for targeted assessment and training for IMGs.