Objective: At the end of training, students seem to lack a basic understanding of how to take an organised, relevant medical and social history using a patient-centred approach. The aim of developing the map described in this paper was to provide a framework for such an approach.
Methods: Action research was used to continuously modify and refine an interview map that was used by medical clerks, family medicine residents, international medical graduates and practising doctors for teaching and learning purposes over a 10-year period.
Conclusion: 'Martin's Map' provides a realistic framework for flexibly organising and integrating medical content with process that did not previously exist. The map provides medical educators with a standardised framework for talking about the medical interview, which helps learners understand how to use their medical knowledge with a patient-centred approach. Learners are able to visually see how they can take a focused medical and social history using a patient-centred approach, which subsequently seems to help them organise their thinking and approach during the medical encounter.