How clinical features are presented matters to weaker diagnosticians

Medical Education
Kevin W EvaGeorges Bordage

Abstract

This study aimed to test the extent to which the use of medicalese (i.e. formal medical terminology and semantic qualifiers) alters the test performance of medical graduates; to tease apart the extent to which any observed differences are driven by language difficulties versus differences in medical knowledge; and to assess the impact of varying the language used to present clinical features on the ability of the test to consistently discriminate between candidates. Six clinical cases were manipulated in the context of pilot items on the Canadian national qualifying examination. Features indicative of two diagnoses were presented uniformly in lay terms, medical terminology and semantic qualifiers, respectively, and in mixed combinations (e.g. features of one diagnosis were presented using lay terminology and features of the other using medicalese). The rate at which the indicated diagnoses were named was considered as a function of language used, site of training, birthplace and medical knowledge (as measured by overall performance on the examination). In the mixed conditions, Canadian medical graduates were not influenced by the language used to present the cases, whereas international medical graduates (IMGs) were more likely...Continue Reading

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Citations

Dec 6, 2011·The British Journal of General Practice : the Journal of the Royal College of General Practitioners·Fiona PattersonDavid Good
Sep 28, 2013·Current Problems in Pediatric and Adolescent Health Care·William B CutrerAmy E Fleming
Aug 13, 2014·Medical Education·Patricia HrynchakMarla Nayer
Sep 18, 2015·Evaluation & the Health Professions·Syed LatifiAndré F De Champlain
May 20, 2018·Advances in Health Sciences Education : Theory and Practice·G Bordage, G Page
Nov 1, 2018·Academic Medicine : Journal of the Association of American Medical Colleges·Valerie J LangGeorges Bordage
Dec 12, 2017·The Medical Journal of Australia·David B Williams
Oct 19, 2016·Advances in Health Sciences Education : Theory and Practice·Todd P ChangGrant Christman

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