Learning clinical reasoning in prosthodontics (Part I: Evaluation of clinical reasoning among dental interns)

Background: Learning clinical reasoning (LCR) sessions were first described by Dr. M. Chamberland in 1998. These sessions are intended to support the development of clinical reasoning in a protected learning context. They are structured to reproduce the processes that clinicians spontaneously use, the generation of hypotheses, the collection of clinical data to develop a correct and seriously considered medical attitude. Objective: To analyze the impact of clinical reasoning learning sessions in dental prosthesis as an active teaching strategy applied to dental interns. Method: A descriptive cross-sectional epidemiological survey was carried out on 12 interns (among 19 invited) from the 2017 and 2018 promotions. The session duration was of two-hours, subdivided into 4 sequences: situation and evaluation before the ARC, strategic approach of the session, discussion of clinical cases aloud and finally the study of the impact of the introduction of the LCR method. Results: After the implementation of our clinical reasoning supervision model, intern’s reasoning improved and became more structured, however our session revealed clinical gaps that interns have in some disciplines. These gaps concerned specialties such as orthodontics, occlusodontics and implantology. This work is part of a set of two parts, the first deals with the evaluation of clinical reasoning in a population of dental interns at the end of their internship, and the second is a satisfaction survey relating to the introduction of LCR as a method of active teaching, within the same population.