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.

Inclusion Criteria:

Subjects who are patients:

- Patients who are male and adults ≥ 30 years of age

- Standardized patients between the ages of 30-80 years participating in the University
of Virginia School of Medicine activity for second-year students learning digital
rectal exams

Subjects who are clinicians:

• Attending physician, resident physician, or medical student scrubbed in for a
prostatectomy or cystectomy, seeing patients in urology clinic, or participating in the
School of Medicine activity for second year students learning digital rectal exams

Exclusion Criteria:

List the criteria for exclusion

- Patients who do not have a prostate

- Patients with previous pelvic/perineal surgery

- Previously enrolled in this study