JayDoc Lunch & Learn Series
2/4/08
SKILLS REQUIRED FOR TEACHING ON THE JOB IN MEDICAL EDUCATION ENVIRONMENTS:
THE Outpatient CLINIC, O.R., & HOSPITAL
HANDOUT Prepared by: Julie L. Wei, MD
TEACHING CONSIDERATIONS FOR INPATIENT ROUNDS
1. Factors influencing teaching style
- Time
- Time scheduled for seeing all patients on service, including consults
- Ensuring adequate/appropriate time allotted per patient
- Utilizing time spent transporting patient, traveling from patient to patient during rounds, and time spent in discussion with patient and or family members/parents
- Different for surgical versus medical services
- Number of patients
- Influence how detailed discussions are regarding management and plan
- Need for prioritizing
- Determine “to-do” list for each patient daily
- Complexity of patient problems
- Extremely interesting/rare/complex patient and pathology may warrant a block of time set aside for full discussion after resident/student preparation for specific topics
- Extent of actual patient care
- Routine daily physical exam
- Dressing removal/changes
- Bedside procedures, i.e., irrigation through surgical drains, wound-packing
- Review of relevant and updated information for each patient
- Vital signs
- Laboratory data
- Imaging studies
- Recommendations from consults
2. Format
- Presentation of patient history
- If new admission/consult, need to present CC, HPI, PMHx, Exam findings, Work-up, Differential Dx, and Plan
- Faculty should then ask questions, whether agree or disagree, ask reasoning behind plan
- After seeing patients, may want to ask residents to explain faculty’s conversation with patient/parents
- Always ask when relevant, literature and research evidence that supports clinical care decisions
3. Organization/Preparation
- Residents/students may “preround” and gather all pertinent information
- Vitals – electronically kept
- Discussion with patient’s nurse
- Change all dressing prior to rounds with staff
- Read the night before on pathology/topic
- Faculty may review imaging studies, H&Ps, all medical notes via VPN prior to rounds
Suggestions for effective in-patient teaching
· Ask residents to discuss risks and goals of the intended procedure to parents/patients in your presence, then you may add/modify/correct the information given, and discuss his/her knowledge afterwards
· Ask residents to give discharge instructions and follow-up plan to patient/parents in your presence, the modify as necessary and discuss afterwards
· Do not always give away diagnosis even if you know, try to allow residents/students to arrive at same conclusion by helping them eliminate incorrect diagnosis from differential. Ask questions to direct discussion towards correct answer
OBSTACLES IN TEACHING – Environment
1. Minimize chaos - Operating Room
§ Faculty is responsible for keeping chatter to the appropriate level, and to a minimal during critical times that demand extraordinary focus on the patient. This includes chatter between OR personnel, resident and OR personnel, and between faculty and residents.
§ Music may be okay, but faculty may choose to eliminate music during induction and wake-up(especially in children), and all other times when it becomes a distraction or interferes with performance or anything that may affect patient well-being
§ Have residents help ensure all necessary surgical instruments are available for the case (Case Planning)
§ Ensure good communication with anesthesiologist and formulate plan
2. Minimizing chaos – During patient rounds
§ Excessive chatter amongst residents
§ Inappropriate jokes
§ Have consistent rounding plan/routine, i.e., gravity rounds, ICU first, etc
§ Address problems with specific individuals if he/she disrupts rounds by being tardy or by personality/behavior traits
3. Lack of preparedness by either residents or faculty
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