Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Language Medical Students Use To Comfort Patients Through Difficult Discussions, Zayna H. Qaissi, Emily J. Noonan, Laura A. Weingartner

Undergraduate Arts and Research Showcase

MERA Abstract

Language medical students use to comfort patients through difficult discussions.

AUTHORS

Zayna Qaissi, BA Candidate; Emily J Noonan, PhD, MA; Laura A. Weingartner, PhD, MS

BACKGROUND

Comforting communication supports patient satisfaction. Examining how medical students approach potentially sensitive topics can help educators identify strategies that improve the quality of care. The purpose of this study was to examine verbal approaches that student-physicians use to put patients at ease.

METHODS

Seventy-five medical students were observed in standardized patient encounters. We assessed how students provided comfort by transcribing interview recordings and observing how students addressed the patients’ mental health, sexual …

Comparing Medical Student Nonverbal Behavior With Cisgender And Transgender Standardized Patients, Meghan M. Schneider, Meghan M. Schneider, Emily J. Noonan, Laura A. Weingartner

Undergraduate Arts and Research Showcase

BACKGROUND

It is essential for medical students to effectively communicate with patients of all gender identities. Nonverbal behaviors such as eye contact and nodding are key communication skills. Evaluating nonverbal behavior is one way to assess the quality of patient care, and examining providers’ behaviors while working with cisgender and transgender patients can identify potential biases linked to patient identity.

METHODS

To evaluate nonverbal behavior, we analyzed video-recorded training sessions with medical students interviewing standardized patients who identified as cisgender or transgender women. All students identified as cisgender men or cisgender women. Ten nonverbal behaviors were rated from 1-7 using …

Hpv Vaccine Discussions Between Medical Students And Standardized Patients, Eric S. Brian, Emily Noonan, Laura A. Weingartner

Undergraduate Arts and Research Showcase

The vaccination against human papillomavirus (HPV) protectsindividuals from cancer by preventing HPV infection. This vaccination is recommended for people who are assigned male or female at birth. However, since these groups are often associated with different risks of HPV infection, there may be gaps in how effectively the vaccination is recommended to patients. We gathered data by viewing recordings of medical students taking histories from standardized patients. We recorded if and which vaccinations were discussed as the patients established primary care. We focused on discussions surrounding HPV vaccines and used discussions around influenza vaccines as a comparison. We recorded if …

Efficacy Of A Social Determinants Of Health Training Intervention, Stacy A. Henley, Emily J. Noonan, Laura A. Weingartner

Undergraduate Arts and Research Showcase

BACKGROUND

Social determinants of health (SDOH) are circumstances, such as living and work conditions, that affect patient health outcomes and contribute to health inequalities. Understanding patients’ SDOH can help physicians recognize barriers to care. Therefore, it is important that medical students learn to gather information on SDOH from patients.

METHODS

Standardized patient (SP) encounters with rising third-year students were analyzed to determine if an educational intervention about SDOH increased the frequency SDOH were discussed with patients. SP encounters were randomly sampled from 2017 (pre-intervention, n₁ = 37) and 2018 (post-intervention, n₂ = 40) video recordings of students eliciting …

Prevalence Of Mental Health History Intake By Medical Trainees, Raymond H. Wen, Laura A. Weingartner, Emily J. Noonan

Undergraduate Arts and Research Showcase

BACKGROUND:

In the US, 1 in 5 adults experiences a mental illness. Over 9.8 million adults and youths have serious suicidal thoughts, and LGBTQ+ communities experience an even greater burden of mental health disparities. Mental illness is often recognized late by providers, which prevents timely and effective treatment.

METHODS:

We estimated the frequency and response of healthcare trainees asking about mental health using video-recorded standardized patient interviews conducted by third-year medical students (M3s). Standardized patients are trained to give out specific health history information only when prompted by the student. Students had 30 minutes to complete new patient interviews in …

Screening For E-Cigarette And Tobacco Use In Standardized Patient Encounters, Michael A. Schmidt, Emily J. Noonan, Laura A. Weingartner

Undergraduate Arts and Research Showcase

E-cigarette usage has grown significantly in recent years, with over 5 million US middle and high school students reporting recent usage. The long-term health consequences of these devices are still being investigated, but it is known that e-cigarette aerosol could contain harmful substances including nicotine, heavy metals, and carcinogens. Therefore, it is important for physicians to ask patients about e-cigarette usage specifically, as this may contribute to future health problems. The goal of this study was to investigate if and how medical students screen for e-cigarette usage. Screening language was reviewed in standardized patient encounters, which are a type of …