From classroom to clinic: evaluating a clinical pathology course to strengthen pathology report literacy of medical interns.

Abstract

Background: Pathology reports serve as the primary communication tool between pathologists and clinicians, directly influencing clinical decision-making and treatment strategies. Despite their critical role, medical students may struggle with interpreting these reports, which can lead to miscommunication and potential diagnostic errors. This study investigated the impact of incorporating a clinical pathology course into the routine medical curriculum to enhance medical students' understanding of pathology reports and their satisfaction with the course.

Methods: This cross-sectional study involved 92 medical students in their internship phase, who were divided into two groups: those who had completed the clinical pathology course and those who had not. The participants were provided with two pathology reports (covering malignant and benign gastrointestinal diseases) and a self-administered questionnaire consisting of 24 items. The data were analyzed via the chi-square test to assess significant differences between groups.

Results: Medical interns who completed the course demonstrated significantly higher rates of moderate interpretation scores (80.43% vs. 63.04%) and lower rates of weak scores (6.53% vs. 32.61%) compared to those who did not participate (p = 0.001). Interns who passed the clinical pathology course had a significantly greater mean number of correct answers for interpreting malignant cases reports (p = 0.04), although no significant difference was found for benign cases reports (p = 0.93). Most interns who completed the course reported that it helped improve their interpretation skills, although some felt that the perceived benefits were limited. Additionally, the study identified key challenges students still faced when interpreting pathology reports including difficulties with pathology report terminology, understanding cancer staging abbreviations, and applying basic pathology concepts in clinical context.

Conclusions: Our findings suggest that clinical pathology courses can improve medical students' understanding of pathology reports, particularly in cases of cancer, but improvements in course content and teaching methods are needed. This research offers valuable insights into improving medical education.