Integrated Peer Teaching of Communication and Clinical Skills How to Train Student Tutors?

Aim: This paper describes the theory-based development of a standardized training model for peer tutors. The aim is to qualify tutors to teach communication skills integrated with practical clinical skills, to medical students in the pre-clinical curriculum. As a result, students are encouraged to form a basic understanding of the biopsychosocial model of diseases early in their studies. Method: The training model's design is based on the Kern model for curriculum development as adapted by McLean et al., who outlined the following steps: planning, implementation, and evaluation/feedback. Our focus is on development, review of feasibility, and evaluation as measured by the subjectively perceived effectiveness of the implemented training model. 2 target groups were considered: the peer tutors and the student tutees. Results: In 2009, a 3-step training model consisting of 12 units was developed, based on the theory of patient-centered communication and the biopsychosocial model. The training was rated very positively on a 5-point Likert scale by all tutors at 2 points in time: t1 (directly after training) and t2 (after conducting 2 tutorials) (t1: M = 1.67; SD = +/- 0.86; t2: M = 1.75; SD = +/- 0.71). On a 6-point Likert scale, the tutees also evaluated their communication and clinical skills as being significantly better after completing the 10 tutorials (t2: scale for interaction and communication: M = 4.81; SD: 1.09; scale for clinical examination: M = 4.99; SD: 0.85) than before the tutorials (t0: scale for communication and interaction: M = 3.18; SD = 1.15; scale for clinical examination: M = 2.88; SD: 1.09). Conclusions: By implementing a standardized tutor training model, one can qualify peer tutors to teach communication skills integrated with practical clinical skills during the pre-clinical phase. Practice teaching of the curricular material via role playing, tutorial simulation and an extensive feedback session, along with the definition of clinical standards for recording case histories and performing examinations, have proven themselves to be core elements of effective tutor training.