Senior Medical Students' Gastrofibroscopy Experience to Understand Patients' Discomfort

Woo, Seong Gu; Sung, Nak Jin; Park, Ki Heum; Lee, Dong Wook

Abstract

PURPOSE: Senior medical students agreed to undergo gastrofibroscopy testing in the same manner as patients would in order to assess if the experience affects their understanding of patients' discomfort and their recommendation of this test.
METHODS
27 senior medical students rotating through family medicine underwent gastrofiberscopy. The level of discomfort experienced by these students was evaluated by using the Visual Analogue Scale(VAS). Each student's recommendation of gastrofibroscopy or upper gastrointestinal series to asymptomatic and symptomatic adults with upper GI complaint was recorded. And we assessed the need of patient experience for recommendation of gastrofibroscopy.
RESULTS
Before having experienced a gastrofibroscopy, 21 students recommended gastrofibroscopy (21 cases, 77.8%) and 6 recommended upper gastrointestinal series(6 cases, 22.2%) as screening tests in asymptomatic adults. After having had a gastrofibroscopy, gastrofibroscopy was recommended in 16 cases(59.3%) and the upper gastrointestinal series in 11(40.7%), again in asymptomatic adults. However in symptomatic adults, there was no change. The degree of discomfort after having had a gastroscopy was less than they thought(5 cases, 18.5%), the same (5 cases, 18.5%), and more than they thought(17 cases, 63.0%), 25(92.5%) students thought experiencing gastrofibroscopy would help them explain the procedure to patients in the future. 26(96.3%) students expressed that doctors who recommend gastrofibroscopies should experience having the test so that they can better empatize and understand patients' discomfort.
CONCLUSION
Senior medical students' experience being a patient is a significant learning opportunity for understanding the patient discomfort. This experience will help doctors understand patient's discomfort.