Evidence map›Paper›PMID 37365590›Full record

ArticleBMC medical education2023

Do malpractice claim clinical case vignettes enhance diagnostic accuracy and acceptance in clinical reasoning education during GP training?

Charlotte van Sassen, Silvia Mamede, Michiel Bos, Walter van den Broek, Patrick Bindels, Laura Zwaan

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in BMC medical education, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

4 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Trial
  2. Does Knowledge of Clinical Case Outcome Influence Supervisor Evaluation of Resident Clinical Reasoning?Academic medicine : journal of the Association of American Medical Colleges · 2025
    Article
  3. Article
  4. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Charlotte van SassenDepartment of General Practice, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands. c.vansassen@erasmusmc.nl.
Silvia MamedeInstitute of Medical Education Research Rotterdam (iMERR), Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
Michiel BosDepartment of General Practice, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
Walter van den BroekInstitute of Medical Education Research Rotterdam (iMERR), Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
Patrick BindelsDepartment of General Practice, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
Laura ZwaanInstitute of Medical Education Research Rotterdam (iMERR), Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.

Funding

ZonMw 839130012
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundUsing malpractice claims cases as vignettes is a promising approach for improving clinical reasoning education (CRE), as malpractice claims can provide a variety of content- and context-rich examples. However, the effect on learning of adding information about a malpractice claim, which may evoke a deeper emotional response, is not yet clear. This study examined whether knowing that a diagnostic error resulted in a malpractice claim affects diagnostic accuracy and self-reported confidence in the diagnosis of future cases. Moreover, suitability of using erroneous cases with and without a malpractice claim for CRE, as judged by participants, was evaluated.

methodsIn the first session of this two-phased, within-subjects experiment, 81 first-year residents of general practice (GP) were exposed to both erroneous cases with (M) and erroneous cases without (NM) malpractice claim information, derived from a malpractice claims database. Participants rated suitability of the cases for CRE on a five-point Likert scale. In the second session, one week later, participants solved four different cases with the same diagnoses. Diagnostic accuracy was measured with three questions, scored on a 0-1 scale: (1) What is your next step? (2) What is your differential diagnosis? (3) What is your most probable diagnosis and what is your level of certainty on this? Both subjective suitability and diagnostic accuracy scores were compared between the versions (M and NM) using repeated measures ANOVA.

resultsThere were no differences in diagnostic accuracy parameters (M vs. NM next step: 0.79 vs. 0.77, p = 0.505; differential diagnosis 0.68 vs. 0.75, p = 0.072; most probable diagnosis 0.52 vs. 0.57, p = 0.216) and self-reported confidence (53.7% vs. 55.8% p = 0.390) of diagnoses previously seen with or without malpractice claim information. Subjective suitability- and complexity scores for the two versions were similar (suitability: 3.68 vs. 3.84, p = 0.568; complexity 3.71 vs. 3.88, p = 0.218) and significantly increased for higher education levels for both versions.

conclusionThe similar diagnostic accuracy rates between cases studied with or without malpractice claim information suggests both versions are equally effective for CRE in GP training. Residents judged both case versions to be similarly suitable for CRE; both were considered more suitable for advanced than for novice learners.

Indexed as

General PracticeMalpracticeClinical ReasoningDiagnostic ErrorsEducational StatusHumansLearningClinical case vignetteClinical reasoning educationDiagnostic errorsGeneral practiceLiability insurerMalpractice claimMedical educationPrimary careVocational training

Identifiers

PMID37365590
PMCPMC10294315

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.