The Effectiveness of Bedside Teaching on The Clinical Competence of Medical Students: A Systematic Literature Review

Bedside teaching is a clinical learning method that enables medical students to learn directly from patients under clinical supervision, integrating theoretical knowledge with clinical skills, reasoning, communication, and professionalism. However, its implementation faces challenges that require evaluation of its effectiveness. This study employed a Systematic Literature Review (SLR) following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Literature searches were conducted through PubMed, Scopus, ScienceDirect, SpringerLink, Wiley Online Library, ProQuest, and Google Scholar. Eligible studies were original research articles published in English or Indonesian between 2021 and 2026, indexed in Scopus, and available in full text. Data were analyzed through narrative synthesis, and methodological quality was assessed using the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) Critical Appraisal Checklist. The synthesis of 15 articles indicated that bedside teaching generally improves medical students’ clinical competence, particularly clinical reasoning, clinical judgment, physical examination, communication, counseling, case presentation, professionalism, and confidence. Integrating bedside teaching with flipped classrooms and team-based learning also improved several clinical skills. Its effectiveness depends on structured learning, supervision quality, active student participation, feedback, and patient comfort and privacy. Although bedside teaching provides authentic clinical experiences that digital learning and simulation cannot fully replace, its effects vary across competency domains. Therefore, structured implementation and integration with complementary teaching methods are recommended to optimize clinical learning outcomes.