• Jennifer Rusiecki, Jane Schell, Scott Rothenberger, Sarah Merriam, Melissa McNeil, and Carla Spagnoletti.
• J. Rusiecki is assistant professor of medicine, Division of General Internal Medicine, University of Chicago Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois. At the time this research was conducted, she was a general internal medicine fellow, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. J. Schell is assistant professor of medicine, Section of Palliative Care and Medical Ethics, Division of Renal-Electrolyte, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. S. Rothenberger is assistant professor of medicine, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and statistician, Center for Research on Health Care Data Center, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. S. Merriam is clinical instructor of medicine and general internal medicine fellow, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. M. McNeil is professor of medicine and associate chief, Division of General Internal Medicine, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. C. Spagnoletti is associate professor of medicine, director, Academic Clinician-Educator Scholars Fellowship in General Internal Medicine, and director, Mater's Program in Medical Education, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
• Acad Med. 2018 Jun 1; 93 (6): 937-942.

PurposeShared decision making (SDM) is a core competency in health policy and guidelines. Most U.S. internal medicine residencies lack an SDM education curriculum. A standardized patient (SP)-based curriculum teaching key concepts and skills of SDM was developed.MethodThis curriculum consisted of an innovative seven-step SDM model and a skills-focused SP case, integrated into the ambulatory rotation for senior medicine residents at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center in 2015. Evaluation consisted of pre/postcurriculum surveys assessing residents' knowledge of and attitudes toward SDM. Skills development was assessed via pre/postcurricular audio recordings of clinical decision making.ResultsThirty-six residents completed the curriculum (survey participation rate 88%). There was significant improvement in residents' knowledge (median score pre 75%, post 100%, P < .01); confidence (median composite score pre 2.87, post 3.0, P < .01, where 1 = not confident/important, 4 = very confident/important); and importance of SDM (median composite score pre 3.14, post 3.5, P < .01). Forty-four clinical recordings (31 pre, 13 post) were assessed using the Observing Patient Involvement in Decision-Making scale. Improvement in use of SDM skills was seen among all residents (mean increase 1.84 points, P = .27). When data were stratified post hoc by U.S. versus international medical graduates, there was significant improvement in total score (mean increase of 5.15 points, P = .01) among U.S. graduates only.ConclusionsSDM is teachable, and this skill-based curricular intervention resulted in improvement in senior medicine residents' knowledge of, attitudes toward, and demonstration of SDM skills.

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