Medical education: can a single video-class intervention improve the diagnostic skills for oral ulcers?

Abstract

Abstract Objective: To evaluate the diagnostic ability and perception of self-confidence by medical residents and students in relation to oral ulcers and the impact of a distance educational intervention, comparing their performances with those of dental students and residents. Materials and methods: The sample of this quasi-experimental study with educational intervention consisted of 49 participants from the medical area (Med) and 28 from the dental area (Dent). The diagnostic abilities test comprised a questionnaire containing 20 photos of oral lesions. Their self-confidence was evaluated from a 5-point Likert scale. The educational intervention, applied among the Med, was characterized by video classes about oral ulcers. Results: The median for diagnostic ability of the Med was 50%, being lower than that of the Dent (students=65 and residents=80, Kruskal-Wallis/Dunn, p<0.01). Approximately 70% of the Med was not confident/not really confident for the diagnosis of oral ulcers, whereas no Dent was perceived in these categories. The perception of self-confidence was higher among Dent than among the Meds (Kruskal Wallis/Dunn, p<0.01). Medical residents scored better in the diagnostic test after educational intervention (Student's t-test, p <0.01). Conclusion: The knowledge of Med about oral ulcers is limited, but may be improved by distance educational intervention. Clinical relevance: These findings suggest that educational actions may contribute to mitigate the training gap of medical students and residents in relation to oral ulcers. To the best of our knowledge, this was the first study to assess the diagnostic abilities and self-confidence of medical students and residents to diagnose oral ulcers.