A comprehensive approach to identify challenges for clinical reasoning development in undergraduate dental students and their potential solutions

INTRODUCTION: Clinical reasoning is a core competence in health professions that impacts the ability to solve patients' health problems. Due to its relevance, it is necessary to identify difficulties arising from different sources that affect clinical reasoning development in students. The aim of this study was to explore a comprehensive approach to identify challenges for clinical reasoning development in undergraduate dental students and their potential solutions.

METHODS: Mixed methods were used in four stages: (1) students and clinical teachers focus groups to identify challenges to clinical reasoning development; (2) literature review to explore potential solutions for these challenges; (3) Delphi technique for teacher consensus on pertinence and feasibility of solutions (1-5 scale); (4) teachers' self-perception of their ability to implement the solutions.

RESULTS: Three categories and seven subcategories of challenges were identified: (I) educational context factors influencing the clinical reasoning process; (II) teacher's role in clinical reasoning development; (III) student factors influencing the clinical reasoning process. From 134 publications identified, 53 were selected for review, resulting in 10 potential solutions. Through two Delphi rounds, teachers rated the potential solutions very highly in terms of relevance (4.50-4.85) and feasibility (3.50-4.29). Finally, a prioritization ranking of these solutions was generated using their scores for relevance, feasibility and teachers' self-perception of their ability to implement them.

CONCLUSIONS: The present comprehensive approach identified challenges for clinical reasoning development in dental students and their potential solutions, perceived as relevant and feasible by teachers, requiring further research and follow-up actions to address them.