OBJECTIVE: To describe the use of the technique of role-play, using actors and recorded on video, in teaching clinical interviews to medical students; and the latters' evaluation of the methodology used. DESIGN: Prospective and observational controlled study. SITE. The Faculty of Medicine in Granada. PATIENTS AND OTHER PARTICIPANTS: The study was carried out with a group of 32 students doing the last year of Medicine. MAIN MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS: Two actors, ten students as interviewers and two teachers were involved. The programme consisted of: a theoretical setting-out of the contents of the clinical interview; a description of the group analysis method; filming simulated interviews on video; group analysis of the material filmed; and evaluation by means of a questionnaire. The choice of interviews gave rise to no problems. The actors assumed with ease the roles they had to play. In the group work, students actively participated and made constructive contributions all the time. In the assessment the items referring to Interest, Teaching Method and Relevance and Originality were high (4.49 out of 5 points). Only that referring to documentation obtained a lower score (3.87 out of 5). CONCLUSIONS: Role-play technique, using actors and video, are excellent educational methods for teaching the clinical interview in undergraduate training.
OBJECTIVE: To describe the use of the technique of role-play, using actors and recorded on video, in teaching clinical interviews to medical students; and the latters' evaluation of the methodology used. DESIGN: Prospective and observational controlled study. SITE. The Faculty of Medicine in Granada. PATIENTS AND OTHER PARTICIPANTS: The study was carried out with a group of 32 students doing the last year of Medicine. MAIN MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS: Two actors, ten students as interviewers and two teachers were involved. The programme consisted of: a theoretical setting-out of the contents of the clinical interview; a description of the group analysis method; filming simulated interviews on video; group analysis of the material filmed; and evaluation by means of a questionnaire. The choice of interviews gave rise to no problems. The actors assumed with ease the roles they had to play. In the group work, students actively participated and made constructive contributions all the time. In the assessment the items referring to Interest, Teaching Method and Relevance and Originality were high (4.49 out of 5 points). Only that referring to documentation obtained a lower score (3.87 out of 5). CONCLUSIONS: Role-play technique, using actors and video, are excellent educational methods for teaching the clinical interview in undergraduate training.