Digital Rectal Exam Proficiency Tool

First, it will be validated on 120 anesthetized patients undergoing prostate surgery, comparing responses on the digital rectal exam clinical tool (DiRECT) from both expert and novice clinicians, with surgical pathology reports. The second phase of validation will involve the participation of standardized patients, medical students and MUTA (medical urology teaching associate). During a standardized patient exercise focusing on digital rectal exam in the University of Virginia School of Medicine curriculum, 160 second-year medical students will be given the DiRECT to document their examination. An attending physician will also attend the standardized patient exercise and document their examination for comparison with the medical students.

The third phase includes 8 residents and up to10 attendings in the Urology clinic, who will independently complete the DiRECT documenting their DRE in the course of usual care.

Comparison of faculty and student/trainee responses in all phases will be used for validation of the clinical tool for further use in medical education.