Steering patients with selected conditions to trainees.

A study of trainer/trainee experience during a three-month period has shown that it is possible to steer patients to the trainee if it is done sensitively. The value of steering certain patients to the trainee has also been shown. Clinical experience was comparable and did not result in any modification to the patient steering policy. Even if patients were not being steered to the trainee, monthly monitoring would be important for detecting and correcting inadequate trainee clinical experience in selected diseases, which are easily checked.