Educational Impact and Perceptions of Dental Students on a Simulated Patient Protocol at the Start of Their Clinical...

Simulated patients in dental education are increasingly being adopted to help bridge the gap between preclinical learning and clinical practice. They develop essential clinical and communication skills in a controlled environment, boosting students' confidence and practical application of knowledge.

The objective of this study was to assess the effectiveness of a simulated patient interaction protocol in enhancing the clinical skills and confidence of 57 third-year dental students during their initial patient interactions, as well as its impact on achieving the learning outcomes of a one-semester semiology course.

Using a mixed-methods quasi-experimental design, the study employed actors highly trained as simulated patients in four structured simulation sessions, conducted alongside students' first five clinical sessions. The evaluation of the simulated patient protocol included pre- and post-intervention quantitative perception questionnaires and qualitative focus group interviews. Further, we also compared Mini-CEX learning outcomes clinical scores of the participating students' clinical work, with three historical cohorts (2017 N = 78, 2018 N = 72, and 2019 N = 64) without the simulation intervention, examining student perceptions, and tracking skill progression across encounters.

The intervention group achieved significantly higher overall Mini-CEX grades compared to the historical cohorts (p > 0.0001). Students also reported statistically significant improvements in self-assessed patient interview and examination skills, along with increased confidence. Skill progression analysis demonstrated overall improvement, though with varying trajectories across eight different learning outcomes from the semiology course. Qualitative feedback further supported these findings, highlighting the value of simulated experiences and enhanced self-assessment.

Integrating simulated patient protocols alongside students' initial clinical work in dental education is highly beneficial, reinforcing both clinical and communicative skills while boosting confidence. This approach helps to bridge the gap between theoretical knowledge and practical patient care, significantly improving skills, reducing stress, and easing the transition from classroom learning to real-world clinical practice.