A format for a small-group teaching session is described that could be modified for any subject in a medical curriculum. The technique discussed uses subgroups and a simple recording chart that have been successful in teaching microbiology to medical students. (LBH)

The costs and benefits of teaching activities in two Research Animal Diagnostic and Invetigative Laboratories (RADILS) were identified and measured. The question addressed is whether public investments in RADIL teaching activities are justified. (LBH)

The reliability and validity of a procedure to measure diagnostic-reasoning and problem-solving skills taught in predoctoral orthodontic education were studied using 68 second year dental students. The procedure includes stimulus material and 33 multiple-choice items. It is a feasible way of assessing problem-solving skills in dentistry education…

A total of 200 patients were interviewed at 2 out-patient settings to quantify the patients' perspectives on their illness by measuring their requests for help. Results showed specific requests were made by most patients that focused either on the problem and/or the treatment. (GLR)

The article describes an elective course, part of the required psychiatry clerkship, at Dartmouth Medical School (New Hampshire), which stresses development of critical thinking skills in the diagnosis and management of patients with substance abuse and related medical and psychiatric complications. (Author/DB)

A group of medical students at Wright State University School of Medicine developed and participated in a one-month elective on selecting and interpreting diagnostic tests. Tests and diseases were reviewed, recorded and published by the students as a reference manual for their later use during clinical rotations. (MLW)

Two studies involving approximately 3,500 college students were conducted to establish and validate a self-report method of identifying nonclinical young adults with significant borderline personality disorder features and to evaluate clinical correlates of this classification across relevant areas of functioning. Results support the validity of…

The study compared the diagnoses determined by 200 adult autopsies performed in 1968 and 200 autopsies 20 years later. Analysis indicated few changes in variety of case material despite declining autopsy rates and a changing racial mix of patients. Recommendations for maximizing the teaching impact of each autopsy are offered. (Author/DB)

Presents teaching model of the assessment process and the diagnostic skills of behavioral observation, initial interview, mental status examination, categorizing symptom patterns, and the use of decision trees. Model represents structured skill to teaching diagnosis within framework of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders,…

Discusses clinical problem analysis (CPA) in medical education, an approach to solving complex clinical problems. Outlines the five step CPA model and examines the value of CPA's content-independent (methodical) approach. Argues that teaching students to use CPA will enable them to avoid common diagnostic reasoning errors and pitfalls. Compares…

Reviews and gives an overview of counseling techniques covering 10 topic areas related to marriage and family functioning that are used in assessment and diagnosis. Examines assessment and its relationship to diagnosis, with special reference to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual series. (JPS)

Medical residents were randomly assigned to either a 20-minute session on the importance of screening for domestic violence or to an unrelated topic. Subsequently, 71 percent of the trained residents diagnosed at least one case of domestic violence compared to 52 percent of residents in the control group. Rates of diagnosis also differed by…

An increase of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) throughout the world cuts across age, ethnic, gender, and sexual orientation groups. It is imperative that people find out if they are carrying the disease. Many still continue to engage in high risk behaviors in ignorance, putting themselves and their partners at risk. The relationships among fear…

It is concluded that while behavior of experts in the hospital and clinic is the primary means of evaluating successful student performance, computer simulations of patient cases offer the opportunity to use expert data in the calibration of student error. (Editor)

Three studies were conducted to examine factors which affect lay observers' judgments about peers who express illness complaints. In the first study, brief scenarios describing a hypothetical patient suffering from a sore throat were presented to 118 college students. The results revealed that subjects were less likely to regard the patient's sore…