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Training and evaluating tobacco-specific standardized patient instructors.
Kristie Long Foley1, Geeta George, Sonia J Crandall
1Department of Public Health Sciences, Wake Forest University, USA. kfoley@wfubmc.edu
Family Medicine
|December 27, 2005
Summary
A training program successfully developed tobacco-specific standardized patient instructors (SPIs) to enhance medical students' tobacco intervention counseling skills. Long-term retention of these instructors is key for cost-effectiveness and program success.
Area of Science:
- Medical Education
- Tobacco Cessation Training
- Standardized Patient Programs
Background:
- A comprehensive training program for tobacco-specific standardized patient instructors (SPIs) was established at Wake Forest University.
- The program aimed to improve medical students' tobacco intervention counseling skills.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the effectiveness of a training program for SPIs.
- To assess SPIs' experiences and medical students' perceptions of the SPI-student interaction.
- To determine the reliability and sensitivity of assessment tools and measure program costs.
Main Methods:
- Descriptive statistics analyzed SPIs' training experiences and student perceptions.
- Validated scales (TIRFIS, TBMS-TCCS) assessed counseling and cultural competency.
- Internal and interrater reliability, and score sensitivity were evaluated.
- Program costs were systematically measured.
Main Results:
- SPIs reported high satisfaction with the training content, organization, and presenters.
- Medical students positively rated their interactions with SPIs.
- Assessment scales demonstrated good internal reliability and sensitivity to student performance variations.
- Initial program development incurred significant costs, but long-term SPI retention reduced expenses.
Conclusions:
- The SPI training program effectively produced knowledgeable and reliable instructors.
- The program successfully enhanced medical students' tobacco intervention counseling abilities.
- Prioritizing long-term SPI retention is crucial for a cost-effective and successful training initiative.