NCJ Number
165015
Journal
Child Abuse and Neglect Volume: 20 Issue: 10 Dated: (October 1996) Pages: 973-977
Date Published
1996
Length
5 pages
Annotation
Patient simulation software called Diagnostic Reasoning was studied to determine its usefulness for providing preclinical medical students with an individual learning experience related to child abuse.
Abstract
The software was designed to give students the opportunity to interview and examine a patient who has been sexually abused as a stimulus to learn more about this problem. The simulation presented the case involving the sexual abuse of a 6-year-old girl. The simulation program allowed the user to interview and examine the patient in an uncued manner, to order laboratory studies, to list diagnostic hypotheses, to determine a final diagnosis, and to prescribe treatment. Forty first-year medical students completed this case as part of their neuroscience curriculum. Eighty-five percent also completed a questionnaire to determine their attitudes toward using computer software to learn about child abuse. Results revealed that all the students considered the computer case both interesting and educational, 88 percent considered it challenging, and 79 percent believed it would help them recognize similar cases. Twenty-nine of the 40 students made the correct diagnosis of child sexual abuse. The 11 who made incorrect diagnosis suggested that the child was suffering from stress, anxiety, a psychosocial problems, or migraine. Those making correct and incorrect diagnoses did not differ with respect to gender. However, those making correct diagnoses had better academic performance records, and more women than men reported prior personal or professional experiences with sexual abuse. Table and 13 references