A controlled trial of educational strategies to teach medical students brief intervention skills for alcohol problems

Objectives. Comparatively little is known about the most effective educational strategies to train medical students to successfully intervene in their patients' alcohol problems. The relative effectiveness of two educational programs to teach medical students brief intervention skills for managing alcohol problems was examined. Methods. Teaching took place over 3 hr and was either the traditional didactic teaching program on the principles and practice of brief and early intervention or an interactive program involving a shortened lecture, clinical practice, and small group feedback on clinical performance. Students were assessed on a 10-min videotaped encounter with a simulated patient before and after teaching according to how they addressed alcohol-related issues and on their general interactional skills. Results. Performance on alcohol-related issues and interactional skills were significantly improved after teaching, although still poor in terms of clinical performance. A between-groups comparison on pre/postteaching difference scores indicated interactive training was no more effect-ive than traditional didactic lectures in developing the knowledge and skills needed for a brief alcohol intervention. Conclusion. The need for more detailed teaching sessions on sensitive areas such as alcohol use is indicated. (C) 1997 Academic Press.