Teaching pediatrics residents how to obtain informed consent.

Background: Few physicians view informed consent as a critical component of the physician-patient relationship or as a way to improve individual and population health. We hypothesized that formal education about informed consent would affect first-year pediatrics residents' knowledge and attitudes.

Method: Twenty-seven first-year pediatrics residents participated in a randomized controlled trial with a wait-list control group.

Questioning skills: the effect of wait time on accuracy of medical student responses to oral and written questions.

Background: Pauses (wait time) after asking questions in pre-college classes result in improved discussion and answer accuracy. The authors hypothesized that this would extend to medical students.

Method: Third-year surgery clerks were randomized to three-second or six-second wait times after questions asked of them during a scripted lecture.

A critical evaluation of the morbidity and mortality conference.

Background: This study was designed to evaluate the impact of changes made to our morbidity and mortality (M&M) conference.

Methods: A 23-item survey using corresponding Likert-type scales was created. Faculty and residents were asked to anonymously complete the surveys in June 1999.