Simulated Patient Experience Workshop as a Model for Feedback and Continuous Improvement in Practicing Physicians

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Emergency Medicine
• Patient Experience

Background:

• Effective patient-physician communication is vital in fast-paced emergency departments (EDs).
• Hospitals use patient experience surveys to assess and improve physician communication.
• Simulation training is a proven method for enhancing medical communication skills.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and evaluate a simulation workshop for emergency physicians focused on improving patient communication.
• To assess the impact of simulation-based training on patient experience ratings.

Main Methods:

• A simulation workshop was designed for emergency physicians using simulated patients, group debriefs, and critical communication scenarios.
• Physicians completed pre- and post-course surveys.
• Simulated patients provided feedback using evaluation checklists and patient experience surveys.

Main Results:

• Patient experience ratings increased significantly from 76% (pre-debrief) to 90% (post-debrief).
• 100% of participants recommended the course to colleagues.
• A moderate correlation was found between prior clinical patient experience scores and initial simulated participant ratings (r=0.52, P=0.18).

Conclusions:

• The simulation workshop is a feasible and well-received method for emergency physicians.
• Utilizing simulated patients effectively provides critical feedback to improve physician communication and enhance patient experience in the ED.