Impact of simulated patients on students’ self‐assessment of competency in practice of geriatric dentistry

Abstract

PurposeThe evaluation of the effectiveness of simulation training in dentistry has previously been focused primarily on psychomotor hand skills. This study explored the impact of simulated patient (SP) encounters in simulation on students’ self‐assessment of competency in their clinical and communication abilities with geriatric patients.MethodsStudents from 2 cohorts were recruited for this study. Cohort 1 (n = 30) participated in the standard curriculum with no simulation training and served as the control group. Cohort 2 (n = 34) participated in a SP experience, simulating the initial stages of a care visit for 2 nursing home patients. Students’ perceptions of competency to perform these clinical and communication tasks were assessed. A group debriefing session was held 5 weeks post‐simulation where Cohort 2 completed a student feedback form.ResultsA statistically significant change (P < 0.00001) was noted for both cohorts in their self‐reported competence to perform clinical tasks following exposure to an independent clinical experience. In addition to this gain, individuals in Cohort 2 demonstrated improvements following simulation and expressed different responses of impact to questions related to treatment, pharmacology, and managing a complex medical history.ConclusionsThis study suggests that simulation of patient interactions using SPs can strengthen students’ self‐assessment of competency in their abilities, leading to more genuine interactions with actual patients. These findings will help inform the design of future SP encounters as a component of an evolving humanistic curriculum.

Assessment of communication and physical exam skills: A comparison of students, faculty and standardized patients

“…Consequently, consistently exposing students to scenarios with SPs, particularly with communication and even "intimate" physical exam skills, 36 not only has demonstrated to be well received by students, but it also contributes to improving their self-assessment skills. 10,11,14,15 This effort should be explicitly and formally included in the students' training in which there exist clear goals and expectations as well as appropriate feedback using valid tools in the same way other skills are learned as part of the dental school curriculum. 30 Among the limitations of the study, the findings herein presented are applicable to this specific rubric that utilized a yes/no rating scale, and hence this may not be extrapolated to different rubrics with different rating scales.…”

“…Therefore, they were not able to recognize if their eye contact was appropriate or not. Consequently, consistently exposing students to scenarios with SPs, particularly with communication and even “intimate” physical exam skills, 36 not only has demonstrated to be well received by students, but it also contributes to improving their self‐assessment skills 10,11,14,15 . This effort should be explicitly and formally included in the students' training in which there exist clear goals and expectations as well as appropriate feedback using valid tools in the same way other skills are learned as part of the dental school curriculum 30…”

“…Standardized patients (SPs) have also been used in dental education for this purpose. [10][11][12] The utilization of SPs in dental schools' curricula, although expanding, is somewhat limited due to restricted resource availability. 13 Studies have demonstrated the value of SPs, especially in improving dental students' interpersonal communication skills, as well as related abilities such as data gathering and cultural sensitivity.…”

“…However, faculty instructors are not the only resource for students to judge their capacity to think critically and provide personalized patient‐centered care. Standardized patients (SPs) have also been used in dental education for this purpose 10–12 . The utilization of SPs in dental schools’ curricula, although expanding, is somewhat limited due to restricted resource availability 13 .…”

Global pandemic and the rise of teledentistry

“…During a full class debrief, students were once again asked to complete the short survey of impressions and comfort level. 2,3…”