Simulated patients as a learning resource in the study of reproductive medicine

Abstract

Summary Simulated patients have been used to foster active learning and problem solving skills in an undergraduate programme of reproductive medicine. These simulators were trained to present a series of clinical problems and were used in a variety of approaches. They served to highlight communication skills and to force attention on the recognition, assessment and management of patient problems.

Feedback by simulated patients in undergraduate medical education: a systematic review of the literature

“…In the large majority of studies, feedback by SPs was used as a tool to teach clinical skills to medical students. For example, feedback by SPs was used in teaching smoking cessation techniques to undergraduate medical students 30,31 and in teaching students about reproductive medicine 32 . We found only one comparative study in which two different ways of providing feedback to undergraduate medical students were evaluated.…”

“…For example, feedback by SPs was used in teaching smoking cessation techniques to undergraduate medical students 30,31 and in teaching students about reproductive medicine. 32 We found only one comparative study in which two different ways of providing feedback to undergraduate medical students were evaluated. In this study, Pfeiffer et al 33 assessed whether SPs were more lenient when they gave direct, face-to-face feedback to students as opposed to when they gave no direct feedback.…”

“…10,30 In most studies (n = 32) SPs gave verbal feedback, sometimes based on completed checklists and forms. [12][13][14][15][16][17][18]27,28,[32][33][34][35][36][39][40][41][48][49][50][51][52][53][54][55][56][57][58][59][60][61][62][63] In one study, SPs provided the students with written feedback only, which consisted of completed checklists and evaluative comments. 42 In 19 studies SPs provided feedback to students individually.…”

The role of actors in teaching communication

“…One solution of this difficulty is the employment of simulated patients. Pioneered by Barrows (1971) in the University of Southern California 20 years ago for teaching history‐taking in neurological and psychiatric patients, their value has since been demonstrated in many fields such as reproductive medicine (Kerr et al , 1977) or in the portrayal of distressed or anxious parents (Meadow & Hewitt, 1972). Maguire (1976) stressed the valuable part simulation could play in helping medical students acquire basic history‐taking skills.…”

A Simulated Patient–Based Program for Training Gynecologists in Communication with Adolescent Girls Presenting with Gynecological Problems

“…18,19 Therefore, the Israel Society of Pediatric and Adolescent Gynecology in collaboration with MSR developed a simulated patient-based program for training gynecologists communication with adolescent girls who present with common complaints encountered in gynecology clinics, which is described in this paper.…”