Web-based Video Tutorials of the Breast Examination (Out of Print)

Abstract Introduction The breast exam is traditionally a difficult portion of the physical exam to master. Medical students may use textbooks with static images or outdated videotapes as reference materials, and they have few opportunities to learn from standardized patients. Instruction in the clinical clerkships is sporadic, if present at all. As a result, a skill that is of high importance in health care maintenance is neglected. We created resource containing a number of web-based digital video tutorials to demonstrate the breast exam in an evidence-based and standardized fashion. Methods In these tutorials, the lead author performs the examinations on a standardized patient. Comprehensive text accompanying these videos focuses on practical instructional details and provides practical advice about how to perform particular maneuvers. Results This web-based tutorial of the breast exam has been one of the most popular educational resources at the Shapiro Institute, and used extensively at the Harvard Medical School for the Patient-Doctor II course and accessed 6,216 times in April 2005. Results In the future, a formal study measuring effectiveness of the tutorials will be performed by looking at OSCE performance in students who have used these materials