The BELIEF Instrument: a preclinical teaching tool to elicit patients' health beliefs.

Fam Med · 2003

other · Level V

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Abstract

PURPOSE: The BELIEF Instrument is a cultural interviewing tool for preclinical medical students that does not require diagnostic or therapeutic skills. METHODS: An expert panel developed and taught the instrument to 200 first-year medical students in (1) a didactic session, (2) standardized patient interviews, and (3) clinical correlation sessions with community physicians and third-year medical students. Standardized patients evaluated students on the BELIEF questions in a graded interview. RESULTS: A total of 93.5% (range 86% to 97%) of 197 students elicited information on each of the BELIEF items. CONCLUSIONS: The BELIEF instrument works as a cultural interviewing tool. It is unknown if students' interviewing behavior generalizes to real patients in clinical settings.