BEDSIDE TEACHING

Background. Clinical teachers have been exhorted to ''return to the be dside'' so that the three critical parties-teacher, trainee, and patie nt-can participate together in the educational encounter The presence of the patient is deemed essential for the optimal demonstration and o bservation of physical examination, medical interviewing, and interper sonal skills, as well as role-modeling professional and humanistic beh avior. Methods. This essay reviews the challenges inherent in bedside teaching and proposes strategies to enhance both the effectiveness and efficiency of such teaching. Results. Practical suggestions are provi ded regarding teaching issues (time constraints, group accommodation, selectivity, demonstration, observation, case presentations), learning climate for both teacher and learners, hospital and patient barriers, and selected other issues. Conclusions. Despite changes in the clinic al setting and financing of medical education, patient-centered teachi ng will remain essential to the training of future clinicians. Techniq ues described in this paper can be useful in facilitating such bedside teaching.