Reflect to interact - fostering medical students' communication through reflection-focused e-learning.

BACKGROUND: Previous research indicates that reflection can foster medical communication competence. However, best practices for embedding reflection in online medical education are missing. This study examined how reflection processes can be promoted and embedded in an e-learning course on physician-patient communication to foster learning. METHODS: We investigated three differently designed e-learning conditions featuring different proportions of reflection triggers and compared their effects on students' reflections. We had 114 medical students in their first clinical year complete one of the variants: video modelling (VM, n = 39), video reflection (VR, n = 39), or a variant merging both approaches (VMR, n = 36). Each student wrote a total of nine reflections based on the same guiding questions at three time points embedded in the course. The students' levels of reflection were measured using an adapted version of the REFLECT rubric (scale 0-18). RESULTS: Students of all course variants achieved good levels of reflection beyond the descriptive level at all three time points, with no significant differences between the variants. The mean reflection scores at the end of the course were M = 14.22 for VM (SD = 2.23), M = 13.56 for VR (SD = 2.48), and M = 13.24 for VMR (SD = 2.21). Students who completed VM showed significantly improved levels of reflection over the course, whereas we found no statistically significant development for those in VR or VMR. The reflection scores correlated significantly positively with each other, as did the text lengths of the written reflections. Reflection scores also correlated significantly positively with text length. CONCLUSIONS: Our study offers a teaching strategy that can foster good levels of reflection, as demonstrated in the three e-learning variants. The developed reflection prompts can be easily embedded in various e-learning environments and enable reflections of good quality, even in settings with limited available teaching time.

Seeing with Different Eyes. The Module Life & Science of the Elite-Master Program Biomedical Neuroscience.

From its beginnings in 2018, the international elite-master program Biomedical Neuroscience of TUM School of Medicine and Health at Technical University of Munich was guided by two convictions: First, excellent research depends not only on the mediation of scientific knowledge and skills, but also on a multifaceted understanding of science itself. Second, teaching must recognize and support not only student's growing expertise but also their personal and professional development. To this end, the module Life & Science was designed. It gives students the opportunity to explore neuroscience from different angles to deepen the epistemological, sociological, and cultural understanding of their chosen profession.

Training in medical communication competence through video-based e-learning: How effective are video modeling and video reflection?

OBJECTIVE: The present study investigated the efficacy of the didactic approaches of video modeling (VM, best-practice examples), video reflection (VR, problem-based approach), and the combination of both (VMR) in fostering medical communication competence in a video-based digital learning environment. METHODS: N = 126 third-year medical students who participated in the pre-post study were assigned to either the intervention groups (VM, VR, and VMR) or the wait-list control group. The efficacy of the three approaches was assessed by means of a situational judgment test (SJT) of medical communication competence. To investigate the differences between the wait-list control and the intervention groups (H1), between the single-mode and combined conditions (H2), and between VM and VR (H3), we applied planned contrast analyses. RESULTS: The planned contrasts showed that the VR condition significantly improved learning outcomes in comparison to the VM condition (H3). The decreased mean scores of the VM condition offset the increased mean scores of VR, and thus no significant differences could be found in H1 and H2. CONCLUSIONS: Our study provides promising evidence that VR fosters medical communication competence more effectively than VM. PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS: Medical students' learning in video-based digital environments can be facilitated by the use of interactive VR.

Structure and quality of bedside teaching: A videographic analysis.

Bedside teaching (BST) is a core element of medical education. In light of a reported decrease in BST, evidence on how to use BST time most efficiently should be developed. Given that little research into the tangible quality characteristics of good BST has been reported, we investigated the influence of various teacher and structural characteristics on the perceived quality of BST. We filmed and coded 36 BSTs involving 24 lecturers and 259 students. Structural characteristics of interest were: number of students and patients, overall duration, and the proportion of clinical examination. Lecturer questionnaires provided insight into teaching experience and intrinsic motivation, and student evaluations assessed the quality of BSTs in three dimensions. Correlations are reported using the Pearson r and a linear mixed model (LMM). The intrinsic motivation of lecturers was significantly positively correlated with perceived quality, but their experience was only weakly so correlated. In the LMM, a significant association was observed for the quality dimension of clinical teaching with the number of patients and the proportion of time spent on clinical examination. Based on our findings, we recommend including multiple patients in BSTs, and providing substantial opportunities for clinical examination. Regarding lecturers, motivation matters more than experience.

Experiences of medical students and nursing trainees from unexpected death through simulation training.

BACKGROUND: Dying in simulation training is controversially discussed. On the one hand, the danger of an emotional overload of the learners is pointed out. On the other hand, dying in simulation settings is addressed as an opportunity to prepare future health professionals to deal with patient death. The present study investigates how medical students and nursing trainees experience the sudden death of a simulated patient and how and under which conditions it can be valuable to simulate the patient's death. METHODS: At the TUM School of Medicine in Munich, Germany, we developed an interprofessional, simulation-based course in which participants were unexpectedly confronted with a cardiac arrest scenario within which resuscitation had to be discontinued due to an advanced directive. After the course, focus groups were conducted with nine medical students and six nursing trainees. Data were analysed using Grounded Theory techniques. RESULTS: The participants reported low to high emotional involvement. The active renunciation of life-sustaining measures was felt to be particularly formative and caused a strange feeling and helplessness. Questions of what could have been done differently determined interviewees' thoughts. The participants appreciated the opportunity to experience what it feels like to lose a patient. The course experience encouraged interviewees to reflect on dying and the interviewees explained that they feel better prepared to face death after the course. The unexpected character of the confrontation, presence of the advanced directive and debriefing positively affected the impact of the simulation. CONCLUSIONS: The study recognises simulation training as a promising approach for preparing future health care professionals to encounter a patient's death.

Measuring informal workplace learning outcomes in residency training: a validation study.

BACKGROUND: Informal workplace learning (WPL) has no concrete learning objective and takes place without a responsible supervisor, which makes it difficult to assess its learning outcomes. Formal learning situations, as they are known from universities or schools, do not exist in this context and make a conventional assessment of learning goals and achievements impossible. Informal learning in the workplace is of central importance, and the assessment of informal learning outcomes in medical education is an under-researched area. The aim of our study was to adapt and validate an informal WPL questionnaire (originally developed for social workers) to assess learning outcomes due to informal WPL in residency training. METHODS: A total of 528 residents (n = 339 female; age: M = 29.79; SD = 3.37 years) completed an adapted questionnaire on informal WPL outcomes and the Freiburg Questionnaire to Assess Competencies in Medicine (i.e. medical knowledge, communication, and scholarship). Exploratory factor analysis was used to determine the underlying factor structure. The reliability of the factors was tested using McDonald's omega, and the correlation between the factors and the three subscales of the Freiburg questionnaire was tested using Spearman's rho correlation coefficient. To investigate construct validity, a structural equation model was calculated to examine the relationships between medical competencies and informal learning outcomes. RESULTS: The exploratory factor analysis yielded a four-factor solution that best fit the data. The scores of all four factors (GLO-CD: generic learning outcomes-competence development, GLO-R: generic learning outcomes-reflection, JSLO: job-specific learning outcomes, and OLLO: organisational learning outcomes) showed good internal consistency (Ω ≥ .69). The structural equation model showed that "medical expertise" had an impact on all four factors of informal learning at work. "Scholarship" seemed to predict GLO-CD and GLO-R. CONCLUSIONS: Our four-factor model reveals meaningful determinants of informal WPL in relation to residency training. The instrument is therefore the first promising attempt to assess informal WPL in the broader context of medical education during residency, thus supporting its construct validity.

Structured interviews on self-regulated learning strategies of medical students in the final year of medical school.

BACKGROUND: In the final year of medical school, the educational focus is on experiences in the clinical environment. This is where students acquire most of their practical knowledge for their future career and need to optimise their Self-Regulated Learning (SRL) strategies. Hence, the current study aims to explore which SRL strategies medical students use during their clerkships in different learning settings. METHODS: Structured interviews were conducted between May 2019 and December 2020 with 43 medical students during their final year in Munich, Germany. The students were surveyed about their SRL strategies. The transcribed data were thematically analysed using the measurements Strategy Use (SU) and Strategy Frequency (SF). RESULTS: Interview data were organized into 11 SRL strategy categories. The most used SRL strategy in general was "seeking information in the internet in form of a text" (SU: 1; SF: 2.605), with an e-learning tool; followed by "seeking social assistance from doctors" (SU: 0.977; SF: 1.884), and "seeking information in books" (SU: 0.884; SF: 1.419). There were differences in the usage of SRL in different learning contexts between female and male students. For example, 95.3% of students are "seeking social assistance from doctors" when having difficulties on the ward, but only 55.8% when they need help with written tasks (e.g. medical letter). The results show a difference in SRL usage when preparing for oral-practical (79.1% books) and written (97.7% e-learning tool) exam. However, it also appears that some students do not have SRL strategies for certain situations, mostly due to a lack of time. CONCLUSION: Medical students in the clinical phase are adapting their SRL strategy to the learning situation. To better support students´ SRL, it is necessary to ensure availability for their preferred resources: e-learning tool and experienced physicians as supervisors. Future research should focus on strategies to handle the limited time during clerkships.

Professional Identity and Motivation for Medical School in First-Year Medical Students: A Cross-sectional Study.

Background: Professional identity formation (PIF) is a life-long process, starting even before professional education. High levels of motivation for medical school are essential for effective learning and academic success. Both are key factors in future physicians' professional and personal development, and according to self-determination theory, professional identity (PI) and students' levels of motivation could be closely linked. Therefore, we sought to investigate whether PI and strength of motivation for medical school are associated in new medical students. Methods: In a cross-sectional survey, all new medical students in Munich, Germany, were asked to complete the Macleod Clark Professional Identity Scale (MCPIS-9) and the Strength of Motivation for Medical School-Revised questionnaire (SMMS-R) as well as to provide information about age, gender, and waiting time before starting medical school. Results: Eight hundred eleven out of 918 new medical students participated in the survey. A positive correlation between the MCPIS-9 and the SMMS-R (p < 0.001) was found. Female students showed higher scores in the SMMS-R (p < 0.05) and the SMMS-R-subscale Readiness to Start (p < 0.001). The amount of waiting semesters showed a positive correlation with the total SMMS-R score (p < 0.01) as well as with the subscales Readiness to Start and Persistence (both p < 0.001). Discussion: We found an association between PI and strength of motivation for medical school in a large cohort of new medical students. Female gender and more waiting semesters were associated with higher levels of self-perceived motivation and higher scores on the SMMS-R-subscale Readiness to Start. More research is needed to better understand this topic to further improve medical education.

OPEN Hackathon at the TUM School of Medicine, Germany.

The OPEN Hackathon of the Technical University of Munich (TUM) 2020 set out to address challenges and potential solutions for medical education at the School of Medicine to kick off the 2020/21 winter semester. The event lasted 36 hours, during which medical students, teachers and staff members had the opportunity to tackle current problems in education and to develop co-created, customized solutions through creative teamwork for the School of Medicine at the TUM. The resulting solutions are now being realized and implemented in teaching. This paper describes the process and organization of the hackathon. Furthermore, the result of the evaluation of the event are described. In this paper, we aim to present the project as a valuable pioneer in the field of developing medical-educational topics within the framework of innovative methodological formats.

Student mistakes and teacher reactions in bedside teaching.

We analyse interactions between teachers and students during video-recorded bedside teaching sessions in internal medicine, orthopaedics and neurology. Multiple raters used a high-inference categorical scheme on 36 sessions. Our research questions concern the types of student mistakes, clinical teachers' reactions to them and if they use different strategies to address different types of mistakes. We used a Poisson model and generalized mixed models to analyse these research questions. Most frequently, students made reproduction mistakes. Relatively high rates of rejection and a similar prevalence of low and high levels of elaboration and correction time for students were observed. Reproduction mistakes were associated with the highest level of rejection and the lowest level of elaboration. High levels of elaboration were observed when students were applying skills in new situations. Students were most often allowed time to correct when mistakes in the areas of analysis or application of skills and knowledge had occurred. There is a decrease in the rate of making mistakes for neurology and orthopaedics compared to internal medicine. Reproduction mistakes influence significantly the outcome feedback compared to application mistakes. Analytic and reproduction mistakes influence elaboration significantly compared to application mistakes. We found a significant effect whether the lecturer allows time for correction of reproduction mistakes compared to application mistakes. These results contribute to the understanding of interactive, patient-centred clinical teaching as well as student mistakes and how teachers are reacting to them. Our descriptive findings provide an empirical basis for clinical teachers to react to student mistakes in didactically fruitful ways.

Development and internal validation of an instrument to measure the motivation of residents for family medicine.

BACKGROUND: For several decades, medical school graduates' motivation to specialise in family medicine is decreasing. Therefore, residents in family medicine must be motivated for the profession and finish their residency. OBJECTIVES: Goal of the current study is the development and internal validation of an instrument to measure the residents' motivation for family medicine, which is based on the self-determination theory: STRength mOtivatioN General practitioner (STRONG). METHODS: We used an existing instrument, the 'Strength of Motivation for Medical School,' adapted the 15 items and added a 16th item to make it suitable for residency in family medicine. After a review by experts, the questionnaire was sent to 943 residents of family medicine in Bavaria, Germany, in December 2020. An exploratory factor analysis for the STRONG item scores was carried out. The items were analysed for grouping into subscales by using principal component analysis. Cronbach's alpha for internal consistency was determined for calculating the reliability of the subscales. RESULTS: After analysis, the questionnaire appeared to consist of two subscales: 'Willingness to sacrifice' (eight items, Cronbach's alpha is 0.82) and 'Persuasion' (five items, Cronbach's alpha is 0.61). The factor analysis with Promax rotation resulted in two factors explaining 39.6% of the variance. The Cronbach's alpha of the full scale is 0.73. CONCLUSION: Based on the internal validation, the STRONG Instrument appears to have good reliability and internal validity, assuming a two-factor structure. This may therefore be a helpful instrument for measuring the strength of the motivation of (future) family medicine residents.

Implicit expression of uncertainty in medical students during different sequences of clinical reasoning in simulated patient handovers.

Background: Dealing with medical uncertainty is an essential competence of physicians. During handovers, communication of uncertainty is important for patient safety, but is often not explicitly expressed and can hamper medical decisions. This study examines medical students' implicit expression of uncertainty in different sequences of clinical reasoning during simulated patient handovers. Methods: In 2018, eighty-seven final-year medical students participated in handovers of three simulated patient cases, which were videotaped and transcribed verbatim. Sequences of clinical reasoning and language references to implicit uncertainty that attenuate and strengthen information based on a framework were identified, categorized, and analyzed with chi-square goodness-of-fit tests. Results: A total of 6358 sequences of clinical reasoning were associated with the four main categories "statement", "assessment", "consideration", and "implication", with statements occurring significantly (p<0.001) most frequently. Attenuated sequences of clinical reasoning occurred significantly (p<0.003) more frequently than strengthened sequences. Implications were significantly more often attenuated than strengthened (p<0.003). Statements regarding results occurred significantly more often plain or strengthened than statements regarding actions (p<0.0025). Conclusion: Implicit expressions of uncertainty in simulated medical students' handovers occur in different degrees during clinical reasoning. These findings could contribute to courses on clinical case presentations by including linguistic terms and implicit expressions of uncertainty and making them explicit.

How is modern bedside teaching structured? A video analysis of learning content, social and spatial structures.

BACKGROUND: Bedside teaching (BST) is an essential and traditional clinical teaching format. It has been subject to various impediments and has transformed over time. Besides a decrease in bedside time, there has also been a didactic diversification. In order to use time at the bedside effectively and understand the current design of BST, we here offer an evidence-based insight into how BST is practiced. This may serve as a basis for a refinement of its didactic design. METHODS: In the current study, we investigate the interrelationships between learning content and the social as well as spatial structures of BST. To this end, we have empirically analysed almost 80 hours of video material from a total of 36 BST sessions with good interrater reliability. RESULTS: BST lasted on average 125 min, most of which was spent in plenary and less than a third of the time at the patient's bedside. History taking was primarily practiced at the bedside while case presentations, clinical reasoning and theoretical knowledge were largely taught away from the patient. Clinical examination took place to a similar extent in the patient's room and in the theory room. CONCLUSIONS: Even though the filmed BSTs are not purely "bedside", the teaching format investigated here is a typical example of undergraduate medical education. In order to maximize the teaching time available, a suitable learning space should be provided in addition to the bedside. Moreover, the clinical examination should be revised in its general sequence prior to the BST, and conscious decisions should be made regarding the social structure so as to optimize the potential of small groups and plenary sessions.

The WFME global standards for quality improvement of postgraduate medical education: Which standards are also applicable in Germany? Recommendations for physicians with a license for postgraduate training and training agents.

Background: In Germany, the (model) regulation for postgraduate medical education 2018, the professional codes of conduct of the regional medical councils and the health professions chamber laws of the federal states are the formal basis of postgraduate medical education, but say little about its structure, processes and results. The World Federation for Medical Education (WFME) has developed global standards for improving the quality of postgraduate medical education and published them in a revised edition in 2015. A German version which takes the specifics of medical training in Germany into account has not been published to date. Objective: The Committee for Postgraduate Medical Education (PGME) of the Society for Medical Education (GMA) has set itself the goal of firstly translating the WFME standards into German and secondly making recommendations for physicians with a license for post-graduate training (PLT) and training agents (TA) in clinics and practices which have been adapted to the German context. Methods: The WFME standards were translated into German by a working group of the GMA Committee for PGME, the terminology adapted to PGME in Germany and checked by an interdisciplinary panel of experts made up of 9 members of the committee. In a second step, the WFME basic standards and quality standards for PGME relevant to PLTs and TAs in Germany were iteratively determined by this panel of experts using the Nominal Group Technique (NGT) and compiled in the form of recommendations. Results: The translation of the WFME guidelines was approved by the expert group without any changes to the content, taking into account the terminological system of PGME in Germany. In a second step, 90 standards were identified which were considered helpful for PGME in Germany, especially for PLTs and TAs (such as development of a professional identity, a more patient-centered approach or support of self-directed learning). Care was taken to only give recommendations which can be influenced by PLTs and TAs. These standards have been summarized as recommendations to PLTs and TAs and take into account all chapters of the WFME standards. Conclusion: The WFME standards selected here are recommended to PLTs and TAs in clinics and practices to achieve high-quality PGME. Empirical longitudinal studies will be required to examine both the implementation and the results of applying the modified WFME criteria in Germany.

Medical Students and Their Perceptions of Digital Medicine: a Question of Gender?

Digital technologies play an essential role in the medical sector of today and the future. In a cross-sectional online survey at a German medical university, male students more frequently reported keeping themselves informed about digital medicine outside of their studies across all clinical years of study. While female students self-assessed their knowledge in different fields of digital medicine as worse than their male peers in the first clinical years of study, no more gender differences could be found towards the final year. However, students of both genders showed a strong desire for further education on the topic of digital medicine.

Programs to encourage working as a general practitioner in rural areas: why do medical students not want to participate? A cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: In many countries, not enough students are interested to work as general practitioners in rural areas. To solve this problem, several, sometimes partly extracurricular, programs have been developed. Most of these programs are based on continuity, which means that students stay in a rural region for an extended period of time, by completing clerkships. Although the effects of these programs are positive, it is often difficult to motivate students to participate. The purpose of the present study is to get insight into the reasons why students choose not to participate in these programs. METHODS: We carried out a questionnaire study among medical students in the clinical phase of the Technical University of Munich in Germany. First, we asked the students whether they actively informed themselves about the program which aims to reduce the shortage of general practitioners in rural areas in Bavaria. Furthermore, the questionnaire focused on the reasons for not participating in this program. RESULTS: Based on the answers of 442 students from study years 3-6, the most frequently chosen reason for not participating in the program is "identification with another discipline" with 61.0%, directly followed by "not willing to commit long-term" (56.1%). In third place is "personal connections to another region" with 30.5%. In the open comments, we find the same reasons: many students do not want to commit to a certain direction too early. In addition, students indicate that the number of regions where this program is offered is too limited for them. CONCLUSIONS: Offering programs to prepare and motivate students for work as general practitioners in rural areas can contribute to increasing the pool of future general practitioners. To encourage students to participate in such a program, it is important to consider the motives of students. Many students who might be interested in general practice do not choose to take part in such a program because they do not want to commit to a particular specialty or region at an early stage. It is important to take these insights into account when designing and implementing these programs.

How to... train your skills goes digital! A project report on the development and implementation of practice-oriented digital student tutorials.

Objective: This project report outlines the development and implementation of digital tutorials ("How to... train your skills goes digital!") by peer tutors (TUTs) based on previously established in-person tutorials, as well as the subsequent combination of both approaches. The TUTs' objective, in spite of corona-related restrictions and strict hygiene requirements during the pandemic, was to provide fellow students with the opportunity to learn, practice and reflect on clinical-practical skills. Methodology: In a collaborative undertaking, the TUTs first analyzed the learning objectives of the in-person tutorials in order to be able to design content-matched digital tutorials without entirely abandoning the practical aspect. The Moodle learning management platform was selected as the appropriate tool for delivery of the relevant theoretical knowledge. Practical exercises are embedded in the digital tutorials during online meetings. The participants (PTs) create their own models in the sense of a home skills station based on instructions provided via Moodle. Acceptance was systematically documented via questionnaires. Results: The digital tutorials were well accepted by the PTs (n=64). Evaluation (response rate: 37.5%) outcomes were consistently positive. Both course implementation and the PTs' own progress were rated "good" to "very good". Nevertheless, the PTs do not yet feel well-prepared to carry out the various activities practiced independently. In the winter semester of 2020/21, the in-person tutorials were also reintroduced in a combined format. The marked demand for the tutorials may indicate the PT preference for practice on the simulation center models. Conclusion: The systematic combination of digital and in-person tutorials using the flipped classroom approach would appear to make sense in the long run. The effectiveness and sustainability of this approach in comparison with in-person tutorials only should be further investigated.

Changes in medical students´ and anesthesia technician trainees´ attitudes towards interprofessionality - experience from an interprofessional simulation-based course.

BACKGROUND: Interprofessional simulation based education (IPSBE) programs positively impact participants' attitudes towards interprofessional collaboration and learning. However, the extent to which students in different health professions benefit and the underlying reasons for this are subject of ongoing debate. METHODS: We developed a 14-h IPSBE course with scenarios of critical incidents or emergency cases. Participants were final year medical students (FYMS) and final year anesthesia technician trainees (FYATT). To assess attitudes towards interprofessionalism, the University of the West of England Interprofessional Questionnaire was administrated before and after the course. Using focus group illustration maps, qualitative data were obtained from a subcohort of the participants (n = 15). RESULTS: After the course, self-assessment of communication and teamwork skills, attitudes towards interprofessional interactions and relationships showed comparative improvement in both professions. Attitudes towards interprofessional learning improved only in FYMS. Qualitative data revealed teamwork, communication, hierarchy and the perception of one's own and other health profession as main topics that might underlie the changes in participants' attitudes. An important factor was that participants got to know each other during the course and understood each other's tasks. CONCLUSIONS: Since adequate communication and teamwork skills and positive attitudes towards interprofessionality account to effective interprofessional collaboration, our data support intensifying IPSBE in undergraduate health care education.

[The importance of the learning environment and reduction of burnout in clinical training: an analysis of the Competence Centre for Residency Training in Family Medicine Bavaria (CCRTB)]. / Bedeutung der Lernumgebung und Reduzierung von Burnout in der stationären Weiterbildung ­ Analyse des Kompetenzzentrums Weiterbildung Allgemeinmedizin Bayern (KWAB).

BACKGROUND: The Competence Centre for Residency Training in Family Medicine Bavaria (CCRTB) was established to improve the quality of postgraduate medical training by offering additional seminars and mentoring programmes as well as regular 'train-the-trainer' courses for educating physicians. In addition, residents have the opportunity to participate in a regional training network. OBJECTIVE: The aim was to assess the burden of burnout and the importance of the learning environment in the clinical training phase. METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional study. Burnout was assessed using the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI), which comprises the scales "Emotional Exhaustion", "Depersonalisation" and "Personal Accomplishment". The quality of the learning environment was recorded using the German version of the Dutch Residency Educational Climate Test (D-RECT German). In addition, multivariable linear regressions were performed to estimate the impact of learning environment, year of training and participation in a regional network on the level of burnout. RESULTS: 129 clinical residents enrolled in the CCRTB were invited to participate in the study, 78 (61%) of whom submitted a response. 76 (59%) of these residents were included in the analyses. The present study discloses an increased burden of burnout among residents in the clinical training phase, with approx. 40% reaching a critical burnout score. A higher quality of the learning environment was associated with significantly milder burnout symptoms on the majority of the D-RECT scales. CONCLUSION: Family medicine residents in the clinical training phase show a high burden of burnout. Therefore, increasing the quality of the learning environment appears to be an effective key element in achieving a reduction of burnout in clinical training. This might contribute to an increase in professional satisfaction, which finally may also prevent migration from the medical profession.

Frequency of medical students' language expressing implicit uncertainty in simulated handovers.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to investigate the number and type of implicit expressions of uncertainty by medical students during simulated patient handovers. METHODS: Eighty-seven volunteer medical students, a convenience sample collected on a first-come, first-served basis, participated in simulated handovers. They each worked with three simulated patients who presented with different chief complaints and personal conditions. The handovers were video recorded and transcribed. A framework of implicit expressions of uncertainty was used to identify and count modifiers that attenuate or strengthen medical information using MAXQDA lexical search. We analysed the findings with respect to the patients' contexts. RESULTS: Implicit uncertainty expressions which attenuate or strengthen information occurred in almost equal frequency, 1879 (55%) versus 1505 (45%). Attenuators were found most frequently in the category 'Questionable', 1041 (55.4%), strengtheners in the category 'Focused', 1031 (68.5%). Most attenuators and strengtheners were found in the handover of two patients with challenging personal conditions ('angry man', 434 (23.1%) versus 323 (21.5%); 'unfocused woman', 354 (19.4%) versus 322 (21.4%)) and one patient with abnormal laboratory findings ('elevated creatinine', 379 (20.2%) versus 285 (18.9%)). CONCLUSIONS: Medical students use a variety of implicit expressions of uncertainty in simulated handovers. These findings provide an opportunity for medical educators to design communication courses that raise students' awareness for content-dependent implicit expressions of uncertainty and provide strategies to communicate uncertainty explicitly.