Learning from Reflection: Insights from Medical Students and Residents
Author Information
Author(s): Tokumasu Kazuki, Va Puthiery, Obara Haruo, Rucker Lisa
Primary Institution: Okinawa Chubu Hospital, Japan and Albert Einstein College of Medicine/Jacobi Medical Center, USA
Hypothesis
Did difficult patient-doctor interactions, viewed from the patient's perspective, make medical students and residents aware of their own medical practice?
Conclusion
The study revealed that reflections from patients' perspectives can enhance medical students' and residents' cognitions and awareness, influencing their willingness to change behavior.
Supporting Evidence
- Medical students and residents identified four cognitions from reflections: different expectations of patients and doctors, language communication barriers, time restrictions, and healthcare system challenges.
- Participants reported a willingness to change their behavior after reflecting on patient interactions.
- Reflections from patients' perspectives can lead to better understanding and communication in clinical practice.
Takeaway
Medical students and residents learned important lessons about how to communicate better with patients by thinking about things from the patients' point of view.
Methodology
Descriptive qualitative study utilizing semi-structured interviews and reflective thematic analysis.
Potential Biases
Convenience sampling may have generated selection bias.
Limitations
The study's findings represent only some aspects of the cognitive processes of medical students and residents and did not include patients' opinions.
Participant Demographics
Participants included 20 medical students and 20 residents from the US and Japan, with varying ages and genders.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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