Usefulness of a Medical Interview Support Application for Inexperienced Physicians

Abstract Background Medical interviews play an important role in disease diagnosis. Medical interview education and clinical experience are required to perform an appropriate medical interview; however, not all medical staff can perform medical interviews at the same level. This study examined whether a medical interview support application could enable physicians with little clinical experience to perform highly accurate medical interviews. Methods Fifteen junior residents (less than two years of post-graduation) performed medical interviews with 20 cases portrayed by simulated patients. In 10 cases, a medical interview support application was used. After the medical interview, the participants were asked to list about 10 differential diagnoses. The interview was considered appropriate if it included the disease portrayed by the simulated patient. Results The use of a medical interview support application increased the percentage of appropriate medical interviews. Considering the frequency, the use of a medical interview support application increased the rate of appropriate medical interviews in the rare disease group. It also increased the number of questions and the duration of the interview. No stress-reduction was observed. Conclusion The medical interview application may be a useful tool in identifying appropriate differential diseases.