[Simulated patients in health care training: the human side of simulation]

Simulated patients (SP) are now used in the majority of the institutions that train health care professionals in patient-centered care. This article summarizes the information about the use of SP in health education using information from the literature and from the 15 years’ experience in the medical school of the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile. It describes the different definitions in use, the roles and scenarios that can be used when teaching with SP and the organization that any institution working with SP should have in order to promote the optimal use of SP. Working with SP allows faculty to center their teaching on their students while keeping the focus on the patient. Students appreciate learning with SP and particularly value feedback from the patients’ perspective.