Simulated patients and the assessment of medical students' interpersonal skills

Sanson‐Fisher, Rob; Poole, A. Desmond

doi:10.1111/j.1365-2923.1980.tb02269.x

Cited by 106 publications

(66 citation statements)

References 17 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Unclassified

Order By: Relevance

“…Studies investigating the usefulness of simulations for instance, have showed that students might react similarly to real and simulated patients (Sanson-Fisher & Poole 1980). In the study by Edelstein et al (2000), students thought that computer-based case simulations were better tests of clinical decision making than written shelf examinations.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The use of a virtual patient case in an OSCE-based exam – A pilot study

et al. 2008

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Background: This study focuses on a skills test based clinical assessment where 118 fourth-year medical students at the four teaching hospitals of Karolinska Institutet participated in the same 12-module OSCE. The goal of one of the twelve examination modules was to assess the students' skills and ability to solve a virtual patient (VP) case (the ISP system), which included medical history taking, lab tests, physical examinations and suggestion of a preliminary diagnosis. Aims: The primary aim of this study was to evaluate the potential of a VP as a possible tool for assessment of clinical reasoning and problem solving ability among medical students. The feeling of realism of the VP and its possible affective impact on the student's confidence were also investigated. Method: We observed and analysed students' reactions, engagement and performance (activity log files) during their interactive sessions with the simulation. An individual human assistant was provided along with the computer simulation and the videotaped interaction student/assistant was then analysed in detail and related to the students' outcomes. Results:The results indicate possible advantages of using ISP-like systems for assessment. The VP was for instance able to reliably differentiate between students' performances but some weaknesses were also identified, like a confounding influence on students' outcomes by the assistants used. Significant differences, affecting the results, were found between the students in their degree of affective response towards the system as well as the perceived usefulness of assistance. Conclusion: Students need to be trained beforehand in mastering the assessment tool. Rating compliance needs to be targeted before VP-based systems like ISP can be used in exams and if such systems would be used in high-stake exams, the use of human assistants should be limited and scoring rubrics validated (and preferably automated).

show abstract

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The use of a virtual patient case in an OSCE-based exam – A pilot study

et al. 2008

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Some authors use the term simulated patients (Sanson-Fisher & Poole, 1980;Norman et al, 1982), but others use the term standardised patients (Rubin & Philp, 1998). Although having quite different meanings, these two terms are often used interchangeably.…”

Section: Who Are Simulated Patients?mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…However, Sanson-Fisher & Poole (1980), when comparing medical students' performance with that of real and simulated patients, used volunteer simulators who were not 'members of the acting profession'. In a description of new medical student teaching at Michigan State University, Jason et al (1971) write that their simulated patients were 'primarily drama students from our campus' and additionally 'several housewives, some of whom had no previous acting experience'.…”

Section: Who Are Simulated Patients?mentioning

confidence: 99%

Simulated patients and objective structured clinical examinations: review of their use in medical education

Wallace¹,

Rao²,

Haslam³

2002

Adv. psychiatr. treat

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Simulated or standardised patients have been used in medical education and other medical settings for some 30 years (Box 1). Their use encompasses undergraduate and postgraduate learning, the monitoring of doctors' performance and standardisation of clinical examinations. Simulation has been used for instruction in industry and the military for much longer (Jason et al, 1971) but the first known effective use of simulated patients was by Barrows & Abrahamson (1964), who used them to appraise students' performance in clinical neurology examinations.

show abstract

“…The results of this study may not be necessarily generalized to medical interviews between actual physicians and patients, because this study examined medical interviews strictly between students and standardized patients. However, several studies have found no significant differences in the interactions of students with simulated versus actual patients (Helfer et al 1975;Sanson-Fisher and Poole 1980). It might be possible that students who did not use the open-ended question could not perform some of the other medical interview skills to obtain medical information from patients.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Open-Ended Questions: Are They Really Beneficial for Gathering Medical Information from Patients?

Takemura

Sakurai

Yokoya

et al. 2005

Tohoku J. Exp. Med.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

(2), 151-154 Open-ended questions, which allow patients to discuss their concerns freely, are widely considered an efficient method gathering medical information from patients during a medical interview. However, few studies have examined the relationship between the use of open-ended questions and the amount of information obtained from patients during the medical interview. This study examines this relationship using a relatively large sample size under more standardized conditions than in previous studies. The Japanese Group for Research on the Medical Interview undertook this research in [2002][2003]. A total of 1,527 medical students conducted medical interviews with standardized patients, and 1,220 met the inclusion criteria for this study. The interview was limited to five minutes. Evaluators (medical school faculty physicians) evaluated the use of open-ended questions during the medical interview. The reliability of the evaluation sheet was also examined. The amount of information obtained was measured through the medical interview evaluation sheet.The use of open-ended questions was positively related to the amount of information elicited from the patients (F = 41.0, p < 0.0001). This study provides data to support the hypothesis regarding the favorable relationship between the use of the open-ended questions and the amount of information from the patients.

show abstract

Simulated patients and the assessment of medical students' interpersonal skills

Cited by 106 publications

References 17 publications

The use of a virtual patient case in an OSCE-based exam – A pilot study

The use of a virtual patient case in an OSCE-based exam – A pilot study

Simulated patients and objective structured clinical examinations: review of their use in medical education

Open-Ended Questions: Are They Really Beneficial for Gathering Medical Information from Patients?

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About