Training auscultatory skills:computer simulated heart sounds or additional bedside training? : computer simulated heart sounds or additional bedside training?

Abstract

Aims: The present study examines whether the additional use of computer simulated heart sounds, compared to conventional bedside auscultation training, influences the cardiac auscultation skills of 3rd year medical students. Methods: In addition to their usual curriculum courses, groups of seven students each were randomized to receive four hours of additional auscultation training either employing a computer simulator system or by conventional bedside training. Cardiac auscultation skills were afterwards tested using patients. Two experienced cardiologists agreed upon the correct description of sounds and murmurs. Each student gave a written description of the auscultation findings in four selected patients, and was rewarded from 0-10 points for each patient. Differences between the two study groups were evaluated using student s t-test. Results: At the auscultation test no significant difference in mean score was found between the students who had used additional computer based compared to bedside training. Discussion: Students at an early stage of their cardiology training did not benefit more from an additional short auscultation course based on computer simulated training compared to additional bedside training. However, we cannot exclude that a more extensive course might show greater differences between the groups.