Cancer Pain education: The use of a Structured Clinical Instruction Module to enhance learning among medical students

Margaret A. Plymale, Paul A. Sloan, Mitzi Johnson, Pat Lafountain, Janet Snapp, David A. Sloan

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

15 Scopus citations

Abstract

The Structured Clinical Instruction Module (SCIM) is an educational format developed for the teaching of clinical and interpersonal skills. The purpose of this study was to develop and pilot-test a SCIM to enhance medical students' learning and understanding about cancer pain assessment and management. The Cancer Pain SCIM was presented to 34 third-year medical students. Eight instructors and six standardized patients (five cancer patients) participated in the course. All participants evaluated the course using a five-point Likert scale (1 = strongly disagree; 5 = strongly agree). Students self-assessed their clinical skills before and after the course using a five-point scale (1 = not competent; 5 = very competent). Students agreed [mean (S.D.)] very strongly that the SCIM was a valuable educational experience [4.4 (0.56)] and that it was beneficial to use actual cancer patients in the SCIM [4.5 (0.63)]. Students believed their skills in the assessment and management of cancer pain significantly improved after the course. The SCIM is a valuable and novel instructional format to teach essential skills in the assessment and management of cancer pain to medical students. (C) U.S. Cancer Pain Relief Committee, 2000.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)4-11
Number of pages8
JournalJournal of Pain and Symptom Management
Volume20
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - Jul 2000

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
This paper is supported by NIH Grant CA 72695.

Keywords

  • Cancer pain
  • Clinical skills training
  • Medical education
  • Standardized patients

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • General Nursing
  • Clinical Neurology
  • Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine

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