Standardized Patients versus Volunteer Patients for Physical Therapy Students' Interviewing Practice: A Pilot Study

To compare the use of standardized patients (SPs) and volunteer patients (VPs) for physical therapy students' interviewing practice in terms of students' perception and overall costs.

Students in the Master of Physical Therapy programme (n=80) at a Canadian university were divided into 20 groups of 4 and were randomly assigned to interview either an SP (10 groups) or a VP (10 groups). Students completed a survey about their perception of the usefulness of the activity and the ease and depth of information extraction. Survey responses as well as costs of the interview exercise were compared between SP and VP groups.

No statistically significant between-groups difference was found for the majority of survey items. The cost of using an SP was $148, versus $50 for a VP.

Students' perceptions of the usefulness of the activity in helping them to develop their interview skills and of the ease and depth of extracting information were similar for both SPs and VPs. Because the cost of using an SP is about three times that of using a VP, using VPs seem to be a more cost-effective option.