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Training and validating the use of geriatric simulated patients
L Z Nieman1, M S Vernon, D Holbert
1Department of Family Medicine, East Carolina University, School of Medicine, Greenville, NC 27858-4354.
Research in Medical Education : Proceedings of the ... Annual Conference. Conference on Research in Medical Education
|January 1, 1988
Summary
Geriatric simulated patients provided consistent and accurate evaluations of medical student interview skills. This suggests their valuable, yet underutilized, potential in medical training programs.
Area of Science:
- Medical Education
- Geriatrics
- Clinical Skills Assessment
Background:
- Effective patient-physician communication is crucial in medical training.
- Assessing clinical interview skills requires reliable evaluation methods.
- Geriatric patients present unique communication challenges and needs.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the reliability and accuracy of geriatric simulated patients in assessing medical student interview skills.
- To explore the potential of geriatric simulated patients as a training resource.
Main Methods:
- Sixty-eight second-year medical students participated in audio-taped final examinations.
- Seven geriatric simulated patients were trained to portray specific patient roles.
- Evaluations of student interview skills were conducted by the geriatric simulated patients.
- Randomly selected audio-tapes were reviewed to assess inter-rater reliability and accuracy.
Main Results:
- Geriatric simulated patients demonstrated high consistency in their evaluations.
- The assessments provided by geriatric simulated patients were found to be accurate.
- Analysis of audio-taped interactions confirmed the reliability of the simulated patients' feedback.
Conclusions:
- Geriatric simulated patients are a reliable and accurate resource for evaluating medical student interview skills.
- The use of geriatric simulated patients represents an untapped potential for enhancing medical training.
- Integrating geriatric simulated patients can improve the assessment of clinical communication skills in medical education.