Use of standardised patients in optometry training.

Area of Science:

• Optometry education
• Healthcare communication skills
• Medical simulation

Background:

• Effective communication is vital in healthcare, yet its assessment in optometry training is limited.
• Unannounced standardized patients (SPs) are used to evaluate qualified optometrists but not yet in optometry education.
• Current optometry training relies on visiting clinical tutors (VCTs) for feedback on student-patient interactions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the utility of unannounced SPs for enhancing communication skills feedback in undergraduate optometry education.
• To compare the quality and quantity of feedback provided by SPs versus VCTs.
• To assess student perceptions of using SPs for communication skills assessment.

Main Methods:

• Two trained SPs conducted 16 unannounced routine eye examinations each, assessing 32 final-year optometry students.
• SPs used pre-designed checklists to provide feedback on communication skills.
• Feedback from SPs was compared to that from 10 VCTs using thematic analysis and chi-squared tests.

Main Results:

• SPs provided significantly more feedback, including positive comments and recommendations, than VCTs.
• Thematic analysis revealed SP feedback was richer in detail and depth across six key themes.
• Students reported SPs identified communication aspects, such as rapport and body language, missed by VCTs.

Conclusions:

• Unannounced SPs offer a valuable method for delivering enhanced communication skills feedback to optometry students.
• While VCT feedback remains important, SPs provide unique insights into subtle communication elements.
• Integrating SPs into optometry training can improve the development of essential patient communication skills.