Cardiac auscultation skills among medical trainees.

Abstract

Many experts suspect there has been a gradual decline in cardiac auscultation skills among physicians, though no studies have examined this hypothesis. To better evaluate the long-term change in cardiac auscultation skills, we performed a repeated, cross-sectional study to analyze medical trainee performance on a cardiac auscultation simulation test over an 11-year period. Our data demonstrated a decline in simulation test scores over time among medical students. This study underscores the importance of broad investment in strategies for teaching cardiac auscultation in order to preserve and improve this valuable skill.