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Simulation based learning as a strategy for patient education training in medical students
M Aparicio1,2, J López-Herce1,3, N Montalvo1,2
1Department of Preventive Medicine and Maternal and Child Health, Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain.
Scientific Reports
|June 15, 2026
Summary
Simulation-based patient education training significantly enhances medical students' practical skills. Combining theoretical lessons with simulation offers the most effective approach for developing patient education competencies in future physicians.
Area of Science:
- Medical Education
- Pediatric Education
- Healthcare Simulation
Background:
- Effective patient education is crucial for medical students.
- Traditional training methods may not fully develop practical patient education skills.
- Assessing different educational approaches is necessary to optimize learning outcomes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare the effectiveness of different patient education training methods for medical students.
- To evaluate the impact of practical training modalities (in-person vs. simulation) on skill acquisition.
- To determine the optimal educational strategy for developing patient education competencies.
Main Methods:
- A prospective study involving 5th and 6th-year medical students divided into three groups.
- Group 1: Theoretical training + practical training with patients.
- Group 2: Theoretical training + practical training with simulation.
- Group 3: Theoretical training only.
- Assessments included theoretical pre/post-tests and practical simulation evaluations.
Main Results:
- All groups showed significant improvement in theoretical knowledge post-training (p < 0.001).
- Students trained with simulation (Group 2) achieved higher practical evaluation scores (8.1/10) compared to those trained with patients (7.4/10) or no practical training (7.1/10) (p < 0.05).
- Student self-assessments of practical performance were higher than researcher evaluations (8.2 vs. 7.6, p < 0.001).
Conclusions:
- Combining theoretical instruction with simulation-based learning is the most effective method for medical students to achieve practical competencies in patient education.
- Simulation offers a valuable tool for enhancing patient education skills in a controlled environment.
- Further research should explore long-term retention and transferability of skills learned through simulation.
