The simulation game: an analysis of interactions between students and simulated patients

Abstract

The apparently greater dominance of the SP indicates that the simulated consultation differs from the doctor-patient consultation in certain key aspects. It is in that sense unrealistic. We argue, however, that 'realism' ought not to be a goal of simulated consultation and that what matters is that such consultations are sufficiently realistic for their educational purpose. We discuss the educational implications that follow from this.

Learning patient-centred communication: The journey and the territory

“…Simulated patients hold the power whilst students feel vulnerable, but real patients are usually more worried than the doctor. Indeed, simulated patients have been found to speak much more and be more active in consultations than real patients (46). A balance needs to be struck since the more credible learning experience for students occurs with simulated patients whose portrayal is closer to how a real patient might behave in a consultation.…”

Collaborative Reflection Under the Microscope: Using Conversation Analysis to Study the Transition From Case Presentation to Discussion in GP Residents' Experience Sharing Sessions

“…[14][15][16] In medical education, CA has been used to study settings 17 such as bedside teaching encounters, 18 doctorpatient communication, 19 and interactions with simulated patients. 20 Maynard and Heritage 19 identified five features of the CA approach, which we illustrate by means of a typical classroom interaction:…”

Competence in Psychotherapy: The Role of E-Learning

“…One such challenge is the use of simulated patients. Many psychotherapists argue that simulated patients can be beneficial in some areas of medical education but are not suitable for teaching the more subtle and nuanced aspects of actual psychotherapy practice [25]. This caveat is particularly important, as verbal and non-verbal cues are central to the teaching process and often are not easily replicated by actors or simulated patients.…”

“…Such emotions, for example intense rage, guilt and grief, can often overwhelm the novice psychotherapist and are important in training junior residents [25]. In addition, using simulated patients may result in some loss of the subtleties of transference and countertransference-which are essential in the psychotherapy training process.…”