GMS German Medical Science最新文献

{"title":"SMRT: A smart mass ratio technique that outperforms body mass index (BMI) for predicting waist-to-height ratio.","authors":"Sukru Mert Baspinar","doi":"10.3205/000354","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3205/000354","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Waist-to-height ratio (WHtR) is a superior indicator of central obesity and cardiometabolic risk compared with body mass index (BMI). However, its use in clinical practice is limited because waist circumference is often not measured or may be collected inconsistently. This study aimed to develop and validate SMRT, a simple anthropometric model that estimates WHtR using only height and weight.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Four NHANES cycles (2015-2016, 2017-2018, partial 2017-March 2020, and 2021-2023) were pooled to obtain a nationally representative sample of adults aged ≥18 years with complete anthropometric data (n=22,109). Linear regression was used to derive a height-weight model for estimating WHtR. Model performance was evaluated using Pearson correlation (r), root mean square error (RMSE), mean absolute error (MAE), and agreement across WHtR risk categories, and was compared directly with BMI.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The SMRT model was: WHtR_est = 1.271 + 0.00470 × weight (kg) - 0.634 × height (m). SMRT showed a very strong correlation with measured WHtR (r=0.92504), outperforming BMI (r=0.9133). SMRT demonstrated the lowest prediction error (RMSE=0.03899; MAE=0.0291). It correctly classified 78.2% of participants across WHtR risk categories, compared with 64.4% using BMI. Sensitivity for detecting WHtR≥0.50 was markedly higher for SMRT (90.3%) than for BMI (78.1%).</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>SMRT is a simple, robust, and clinically practical model for estimating WHtR using only height and weight. Developed using more than 22,000 adults from multiple NHANES cycles, SMRT provides a valuable screening tool when waist circumference is unavailable and may improve assessment of central adiposity and cardiometabolic risk.</p>","PeriodicalId":39243,"journal":{"name":"GMS German Medical Science","volume":"24 ","pages":"Doc01"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-01-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12914367/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146229109","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Requirements and attitudes toward eHealth content in human medicine studies: A cross-sectional study to improve the curriculum.","authors":"Pia Traulsen, Tjorven Stamer, Jost Steinhäuser","doi":"10.3205/000355","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3205/000355","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objective: </strong>This study investigates the current integration of eHealth content into the medical curriculum at the University of Luebeck. The aim is to explore how students and alumni remember e-health teaching content und to assess their knowledge, confidence and preparedness for using digital applications in clinical practice. The results can help with the further development of the curriculum.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A cross-sectional online survey was conducted among current medical students and alumni (graduation within the last five years) of the University of Luebeck. The questionnaire assessed participants' attitudes toward eHealth, their self-assessed knowledge and confidence, and the eHealth content taught during their studies. Data were analyzed descriptively, and associations between key variables were examined using Spearman's rank correlation and Mann-Whitney U test.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>A total of 131 responses were analyzed (students: n=76, alumni: n=54). While students reported more frequent exposure to eHealth content (70%) than alumni (19%), overall, 51% indicated that no eHealth instruction had been part of their curriculum. The most common taught topics included the electronic patient record (ePA), ePrescriptions, and communication platforms like Communication in healthcare (KIM) and Telematics messenger (TIM).Self-assessed knowledge of eHealth showed strong correlations with perceived confidence and preparedness. Confidence in using eHealth applications strongly predicted perceived preparedness. Gender and age were also found to be relevant factors: male participants reported higher knowledge levels, and younger participants more frequently encountered eHealth content.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>The findings highlight substantial variability in the perception of eHealth teaching and reveal significant associations between perceived knowledge, confidence, and readiness for professional application. Participants expressed a clear need for broader and more structured digital health education. Core topics identified for future curricular integration include digital documentation systems, telemedicine, data protection, and the use of AI in healthcare. Comprehensive, longitudinal integration of eHealth across core and elective curricula is essential to adequately prepare future physicians for an increasingly digitalized healthcare system.</p>","PeriodicalId":39243,"journal":{"name":"GMS German Medical Science","volume":"24 ","pages":"Doc02"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-01-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12914370/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146229092","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Results of the Cologne Corona Surveillance (CoCoS) project - a cross-sectional study: Survey data on nonadherence to recommended individual behaviours for SARS-CoV-2 pandemic containment.","authors":"Max Oberste, Kilian Baumann, Kija Shah-Hosseini, Michael Buess, Kerstin Daniela Rosenberger, Annelene Kossow, Felix Dewald, Jomana Reusch, Teodora Asenova, Florian Neuhann, Martin Hellmich","doi":"10.3205/000353","DOIUrl":"10.3205/000353","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>To curb SARS-CoV-2 transmission, citizens were urged to get vaccinated and adhere to hygiene recommendations (keeping distance, washing hands, wearing face masks), as well as informing contacts if infected. Studies confirm the effectiveness of these measures in reducing virus spread. Understanding factors influencing nonadherence is vital for enhancing the efficacy of future pandemic education campaigns.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>An online survey assessed nonadherence to SARS-CoV-2 containment recommendations among 30,000 randomly selected Cologne residents aged 18 or older. Invitations were sent on December 7, 2022, with the survey open until January 7, 2023. Logistic regression analyzed associations between participants' sociodemographic, health, and virus-related characteristics and reported nonadherence to recommended behaviors.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Out of 30,000 invited Cologne residents, 4,486 (15%) responded, with 10% reporting not having received recommended SARS-CoV-2 vaccination. Nonadherence correlated significantly with older age, male gender, low income, living alone, migrant background, and chronic lung disease. 80% reported not adhering to current hygiene recommendations, linked to younger age, absence of certain pre-existing conditions, and prior SARS-CoV-2 infection. Additionally, 16% reported hesitancy in informing all contacts upon testing positive, associated with male gender, absence of certain pre-existing conditions, and fewer booster doses.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>The results presented here point to which sociodemographic, health, and virus-related factors are associated with nonadherence to recommended individual behaviors to mitigate the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. However, issues related to the representativeness of the sample for the general population limit the validity of the results.Trial registration: DRKS.de, German Clinical Trials Register (DRKS), identifier: DRKS00024046, registered on 25 February 2021.</p>","PeriodicalId":39243,"journal":{"name":"GMS German Medical Science","volume":"23 ","pages":"Doc17"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-11-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12720068/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145821252","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Somatic mutation counts as a surrogate marker for tumor mutation burden to predict progesterone receptor-positive (PR+) status in PIK3CA-mutated breast cancer.","authors":"Bandana Kumari, Rijhul Lahariya","doi":"10.3205/000352","DOIUrl":"10.3205/000352","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objectives: </strong>Invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC), the most prevalent subtype of breast cancer, is characterized by significant genomic heterogeneity. Tumor mutation burden (TMB) has emerged as a predictive biomarker for immunotherapy response, yet its estimation via whole-exome sequencing remains complex and costly. This study aimed to evaluate whether total somatic mutation count can serve as a practical surrogate for TMB and assess its association with progesterone receptor (PR) status in PIK3CA-mutated IDC patients.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This retrospective observational study utilized publicly available data from a previously published breast cancer sequencing study. A total of 164 female IDC patients with confirmed PIK3CA mutations and documented PR status were included. Relevant genomic and demographic parameters - TMB, mutation count, and age - were extracted and analyzed. Statistical analyses included correlation, intergroup comparisons by PR status, and binary logistic regression. Predictive performance was assessed using area under the receiver operating characteristic (AUROC) curves.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Patients with PR-negative status exhibited significantly higher TMB and mutation count than PR-positive patients (p-value<0.001 for both). TMB and mutation count were positively correlated (r=0.61, p-value<0.001), indicating overlapping representation of genomic instability. Logistic regression showed that mutation count was a significant predictor of PR status (p-value=0.01). Mutation count demonstrated a slightly superior predictive performance (AUROC=0.738) compared to TMB (AUROC=0.737).</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Total mutation count shows strong potential as a surrogate biomarker for TMB and a predictive marker for PR status in PIK3CA-mutated IDC, offering a cost-effective genomic tool in personalized breast cancer stratification.</p>","PeriodicalId":39243,"journal":{"name":"GMS German Medical Science","volume":"23 ","pages":"Doc16"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-11-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12715853/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145805954","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Physician assistants in outpatient medical practice in Germany - opportunities and challenges.","authors":"Stefan Bigge","doi":"10.3205/000351","DOIUrl":"10.3205/000351","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The German healthcare system faces considerable challenges, particularly due to a shortage of physicians in rural areas and increasing demands from an aging and multimorbid population. Physician assistants (PAs) represent a promising solution to address these challenges. As academically trained healthcare professionals, they take on delegable tasks such as medical histories, routine examinations, documentation, and the care of chronically ill patients. This relieves physicians and allows for more intensive patient care. This paper examines the advantages of integrating physician assistants (PAs) into outpatient care. It shows that PAs can significantly improve the efficiency and quality of care through their work. In particular, PAs play a crucial role in disease management programs (DMPs) for the long-term care of chronically ill patients. Their involvement leads to a reduction in complications and an increase in patient satisfaction. From an economic perspective, PAs optimize the use of resources and help stabilize practices, especially in underserved regions. Despite these potentials, there are significant challenges. There is a lack of uniform national legal regulations clearly defining the competencies and fields of activity of PAs. In addition, there are uncertainties regarding the refinancing of PA services, as well as issues of acceptance among physicians and patients. Competition with existing healthcare professions such as medical assistants (MFAs) or specialized roles like VERAHs necessitates clear delineation of responsibilities. This paper concludes by presenting strategies for the successful integration of physician assistants (PAs). In addition to creating clear legal frameworks and refinancing models, promoting interdisciplinary collaboration is essential. Regular continuing education and the use of digital technologies such as telemedicine can further expand the competencies of PAs. The findings underline that PAs can play a crucial role in ensuring sustainable and patient-centered healthcare - especially in regions affected by physician shortages.</p>","PeriodicalId":39243,"journal":{"name":"GMS German Medical Science","volume":"23 ","pages":"Doc15"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-11-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12715852/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145805957","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Needs and implementation pathways of discharge management in rural areas of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania: Findings from focus group discussions with multidisciplinary healthcare stakeholders.","authors":"Jann Niklas Vogel, Jaqueline Letzin, Hanna Hilgenhof, Ivonne Honekamp, Chiara Kleinschmidt, Anne Petereit, Stefan Schmidt","doi":"10.3205/000350","DOIUrl":"10.3205/000350","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>In rural areas, discharge management presents a significant challenge. Despite its relevance, there is limited research on implementation strategies and the preferences of the involved parties. In Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, four round tables have been established with the goal of promoting sustainable local healthcare. These regional networks involve multidisciplinary stakeholders working together on acute care and follow-up care for patients. This paper examines the implementation strategies of discharge management in rural areas of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, analyses associated challenges, and identifies stakeholder preferences.</p><p><strong>Methodology: </strong>Semi-structured group discussions were conducted at the round tables in Demmin, Pasewalk, and Ueckermünde. The data was analysed using qualitative content analysis, with a focus on structuring the content.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Three group discussions with a total of 30 participants were held. Key challenges in rural areas include securing day care services, the lack of sufficient and locally accessible short-term care, long-term inpatient care, and rehabilitation placements. As a result, patients often remain hospitalized longer than necessary or must transfer to distant follow-up facilities.</p><p><strong>Discussion and conclusion: </strong>A key aspect is questioning traditional approaches, such as the strict separation of responsibilities, and focusing more on shared accountability. The goal is to create synergies and enable more efficient care delivery.</p>","PeriodicalId":39243,"journal":{"name":"GMS German Medical Science","volume":"23 ","pages":"Doc14"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-11-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12715854/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145805987","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Cutaneous Lyme borreliosis: Guideline of the German Dermatology Society.","authors":"Heidelore Hofmann, Volker Fingerle, Sebastian Rauer, Klaus-Peter Hunfeld, Hans-Iko Huppertz, Andreas Krause","doi":"10.3205/000348","DOIUrl":"10.3205/000348","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The current S2k guideline \"kutane Borreliose\" has been updated in accordance with the methodological standards of the \"Arbeitsgemeinschaft der Wissenschaftlichen Medizinischen Fachgesellschaften e.V.\". It has received consensus from 18 AWMF member societies, the Robert Koch Institute, the \"Paul-Ehrlich-Gesellschaft für Infektionstherapie e.V.\", \"Instand e.V. - Gesellschaft zur Förderung der Qualitätssicherung in medizinischen Laboratorien\", the \"Deutsche Borreliose-Gesellschaft\" and the two German patient organisations \"Borreliose und FSME Bund Deutschland\" and \"Aktionsbündnis gegen zeckenübertragene Infektionen Deutschland e.V.\". This guideline of the German Dermatology Society primarily focuses on the diagnosis and treatment of cutaneous manifestations of Lyme borreliosis and is directed at physicians in private practices and clinics who treat Lyme borreliosis. Objectives of this guideline are recommendations for confirming a clinical diagnosis, recommendations for a stage-related laboratory diagnosis and recommendations for the treatment of the different manifestations erythema migrans, multiple erythemata migrantia, borrelial lymphocytoma, and acrodermatitis chronica atrophicans. The current update of the guideline incorporates the international literature on cutaneous manifestations of Lyme borreliosis up to 2022. There have been no significant changes in diagnosis and treatment. The Cochrane network analysis on the treatment of erythema migrans has only shown that, in addition to doxycycline and amoxicillin, oral penicillin V is equally effective. A Slovenian analysis of patients with acrodermatitis chronica atrophicans over the past 30 years has shown a decrease in the incidence of constitutional symptoms and atrophy, likely due to improved early detection. In addition, an information sheet for patients containing recommendations for the prevention of Lyme borreliosis is attached to the guideline.</p>","PeriodicalId":39243,"journal":{"name":"GMS German Medical Science","volume":"23 ","pages":"Doc12"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-10-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12584192/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145453484","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Guidelines for diagnosis and treatment in neurology - Lyme neuroborreliosis.","authors":"Sebastian Rauer, Stefan Kastenbauer, Rick Dersch, Heidelore Hofmann, Volker Fingerle, Hans-Iko Huppertz, Klaus-Peter Hunfeld, Andreas Krause, Bernd Salzberger","doi":"10.3205/000349","DOIUrl":"10.3205/000349","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Lyme disease is the most common tick-borne infectious disease in Europe. Neurological manifestations occur in 3-15% of infections and can present as polyradiculitis, meningitis, and rarely as encephalomyelitis. The disease is treatable with antibiotics. The S3 guideline \"Neuroborreliosis\" has been updated in accordance with the methodological standards of the \"Arbeitsgemeinschaft der Wissenschaftlichen Medizinischen Fachgesellschaften e. V.\" (AWMF register number 030/071). Eighteen AWMF member societies, the Robert Koch Institute, the \"Paul-Ehrlich-Gesellschaft für Infektionstherapie\", the \"Schweizerische Neurologische Gesellschaft\", the \"Österreichische Gesellschaft für Neurologie\", the \"Deutsche Borreliose-Gesellschaft\" and two patient organizations were involved in the update. The guideline aimed at physicians in practice and hospital settings who are involved in the treatment of neuroborreliosis in children and adults. For the first time, there is Class Ia evidence that a 14-day course of antibiotics is therapeutically sufficient in early neuroborreliosis. Additionally, it is now recommended that the administration of steroids alongside antibiotic therapy is not advised in cases of facial palsy within the context of a neuroborreliosis that is probable or confirmed according to diagnostic criteria. The age limit for doxycycline in the treatment of neuroborreliosis in children under 8 years has been removed. There are still no valid study data on the effectiveness of combination antibiotic treatments. A systematic review on the therapy of so-called Post-Treatment Lyme Disease Syndrome (PTLDS) showed that parameters such as quality of life, fatigue, depression, and cognition do not respond to antibiotic therapy.</p>","PeriodicalId":39243,"journal":{"name":"GMS German Medical Science","volume":"23 ","pages":"Doc13"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-10-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12584707/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145453508","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Evaluating lipid-driven insulin resistance via TyG index in breast cancer patients: Toward effective secondary prevention.","authors":"Bandana Kumari, Rijhul Lahariya","doi":"10.3205/000347","DOIUrl":"10.3205/000347","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objective: </strong>Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed malignancy worldwide. Insulin resistance (IR) plays a key role in its progression by activating oncogenic signaling pathways. The triglyceride-glucose (TyG) index is a validated, cost-effective surrogate marker for IR. This study aims to evaluate the prevalence of IR in female breast cancer patients using the TyG index and to identify lipid parameters associated with increased IR, thereby supporting strategies for secondary prevention.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A cross-sectional study was conducted among non-diabetic, histopathologically confirmed female breast cancer patients. Demographic data, lipid profiles, and fasting glucose levels were collected. Participants were stratified into high-risk (TyG≥8.87) and low-risk (TyG<8.87) groups based on their TyG index. Logistic regression analysis was performed to identify significant predictors of elevated TyG index.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Among 122 patients, 44.3% demonstrated elevated insulin resistance. Triglycerides (TG), total cholesterol (TC), very low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (VLDL-C), and the TC/high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C) ratio were significantly higher in the high-risk group. Logistic regression identified TC, TC/HDL-C ratio, and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) as significant predictors of elevated IR (p<0.05). The model is represented as: Logit(P)=-13.941+0.145X₁+1.558X₂-0.178X₃, where X₁, X₂, and X₃ correspond to TC, TC/HDL-C ratio, and LDL-C, respectively. The predictive model achieved 90.2% accuracy with an area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve (AUROC) of 0.927.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Monitoring lipid parameters and managing insulin resistance are crucial for enhancing breast cancer prognosis and potentially reducing progression.</p>","PeriodicalId":39243,"journal":{"name":"GMS German Medical Science","volume":"23 ","pages":"Doc11"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12584163/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145453497","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Social skills in future dental students - a project report.","authors":"Johanna Hissbach, Sinikka Heisler, Oana Gröne, Stefanie Pfisterer-Heise","doi":"10.3205/000346","DOIUrl":"10.3205/000346","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objective: </strong>The doctor-patient interaction is essential for successfull dental treatment. Although it is possible to consider social skills during student selection, these are rarely taken into account. The described project aims to identify and evaluate the social skills deemed necessary by various stakeholders and to assess whether these skills can be effectively measured using a Situational Judgment Test (SJT).</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>The project involved conducting interviews with stakeholders (lecturers, students, patients, practicing dentists) to identify relevant social skills. This was followed by a Delphi survey to evaluate the importance of these skills. Additionally, the SJT was examined for its suitability in the context of dental medicine, and various methods for reliably measuring the identified skills were assessed.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Dental lecturers and students consider emotional resilience, particularly stress management, to be especially important during dental studies, while patient-related behaviors are of lesser priority - possibly due to the constraints of the academic environment. In contrast, patients and dentists emphasize the importance of helpfulness and caring conduct during treatment.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Our research highlights the need to strengthen social skills in dental education. Although the SJT from general medicine is also suitable for dental studies, Multiple Mini Interviews (MMIs) are a more effective method for capturing complex skills, such as behavioral flexibility.</p>","PeriodicalId":39243,"journal":{"name":"GMS German Medical Science","volume":"23 ","pages":"Doc10"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-09-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12584161/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145453547","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}