Teaching Clinical Interviewing in the Health Professions

Abstract

Empirical research on the teaching of interview skills has consistently shown significant (at p≤.05 level) changes on cognitive tests, affective measures, and observational data for students of various programs in the health professions. Most studies were simply comparisons of stu dents' pretest and posttest scores, with little control over possible confounding factors. Relatively few studies have in cluded direct comparisons of alternative approaches to the teaching of interview skills. These studies are examined in de tail, and trends among them are noted for the design of instructional programs. Also noted are the implications of these studies for future research.