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Abstract

Abstract
Background:
Patient education and counselling is an effective strategy for fostering patient-doctor relationship. Undergraduate medical students must learn how to counsel patients.
Objectives: To assess the effectiveness of patient education and counseling as a teaching strategy and compare it with the Large Group interactive teaching strategy (LGIS).
Material and Methods: A true experimental study was conducted at Saidu Medical College affiliated hospital with 60 fourth-year MBBS students. Stratified random sampling divided participants into control (LGIS) and experimental (self-learning with patient counseling) groups. Both groups took a baseline knowledge test. The control group attended lectures, while the experimental group studied self-care for type 2 diabetes and conducted patient counseling with a simulated patient. Post-intervention knowledge scores and feedback were analyzed using SPSS 23.
Results: The LGIS group pre-test mean baseline knowledge score was 30.73 ± 12.11, increasing to 35.40 ± 13.29 post-test. The experimental group, pre-test and post-test knowledge scores ± SD were 31.67 ± 12.75 and 38.95 ± 12.95 respectively. Paired t-tests showed significant improvements in both groups with a p-value of 0.001. However, the independent t-test indicated no significant difference between the two teaching methods (p = 0.299). Additionally, 90% of the experimental group found patient counseling techniques practical and effective.
Conclusion: Although significant associations between the two groups were not observed, effective patient counseling is a more practical learning technique to understand diseases in clinical settings.