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The use of a questionnaire on medical terms as a teaching tool for medical students
Author(s) -
DALTON E. ROSEMARY
Publication year - 1978
Publication title -
medical education
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.776
H-Index - 138
eISSN - 1365-2923
pISSN - 0308-0110
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2923.1978.tb00336.x
Subject(s) - meaning (existential) , task (project management) , psychology , class (philosophy) , medical education , mathematics education , medicine , epistemology , psychotherapist , philosophy , management , economics
Summary Several authors have administered multiple choice type questionnaires about the definition of some medical terms in order to determine the range of answers given by patients in general (Seligmann, McGrath & Pratt, 1957; Boyle, 1970; Cottrill et al. , 1973) and by University students of varying disciplines in particular (Tring & Hayes‐Allen, 1973). Some have tried to elucidate the influence of such factors as the age, sex, educational level and social class of the patient on the level of knowledge (Seligmann et al. , 1957; Samora, Saunders & Larson, 1961, 1962; Boyle, 1970; Cottrill et al. , 1973). Samora et al. (1961, 1962) asked patients to perform the more difficult task of explaining the terms in their own words. All have clearly indicated the fact that laymen may be aware of, or have misconceptions about, the meaning of medical terms. This paper illustrates the use of such a questionnaire as a tool to: (a) indicate to both clinical and pre‐clinical medical students the range of answers given by patients. The results show clearly the misunderstandings which may occur if such words are used in a clinical interview without ensuring that both participants attach the same meaning to the term; (b) teach survey techniques as a meaningful practical exercise rather than only in theory; (c) produce results in which the students are sufficiently interested that they want to analyse it by using the appropriate statistical techniques; and (d) show students that, even at entry to medical school, there is a gap in understanding between themselves and patients on some, but not all, terms. Hopefully, when these students reach the clinical part of their course they will remember their own ignorance and so be more sympathetic towards patients' lack of knowledge than if they had not completed such a questionnaire.