The family-oriented clinical simulation: an interdisciplinary tool for professional growth

An interdisciplinary, educational technique--the family-oriented clinical simulation--is described and compared and contrasted to other commonly used role-playing techniques. Implications for training and supervision of physical therapists and other health care professionals are discussed, including the technique's relevance as a vehicle for studying in an applied clinical context the interface of physical disease and its psychosocial manifestations. The article concludes with a description of the benefits and potential disadvantages of the technique.