Declarative Knowledge, Confidence, and Perceptions on Suicide Prevention After Standardized Patient Observation

Abstract

Context Standardized patient (SP) encounters are effective strategies to increase learners' declarative knowledge, confidence, and perceptions of clinical scenarios; however, there are barriers to implementing SPs for suicidal ideation (SI) scenarios, and limited data about the value of an alternative educational method, such as observing SP encounters of SI scenarios, which might result in improved learner knowledge, confidence, and perceptions regarding suicide prevention. Objective Compare athletic training students' knowledge, confidence, and perceptions regarding suicide prevention after observation of SP encounters in addition to an online suicide prevention module. Design Quasi-experimental. Setting Asynchronous online suicide prevention module. Patients or Other Participants Seventy-six athletic training students enrolled in a Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training–accredited professional athletic training master's program. Intervention(s) An online suicide prevention module with videos of SP encounters displaying varying degrees of SI. Main Outcome Measure(s) Participants completed pretest and posttest assessments for knowledge, confidence, and perceptions regarding suicide prevention. Mean scores for all categories were compared across time and groups using a repeated-measures analysis of variance. Results An online suicide prevention module is effective for significantly (P < .001) increasing learners' knowledge of and confidence in managing SI scenarios. The experimental group significantly improved their knowledge (P = .025) compared with the control group, who did not observe SP encounter videos. Additionally, both groups significantly (P < .001) aligned their level of agreement with statements regarding suicide prevention to best care for someone experiencing SI. The experimental group significantly (P = .039) increased their agreement that suicide is preventable compared with the control group. Conclusions These findings highlight the value of observed SP encounters for suicide prevention knowledge, confidence, and perceptions about suicide prevention. In the absence of a high-fidelity, live SP encounter, observation of an SP encounter may be a cost-effective way to prepare students for SI scenarios in clinical practice.