The effect of using standardized patients or peer role play on ratings of undergraduate communication training: A randomized controlled trial

• Published in: Patient education and counseling 2012-06, Vol.87 (3), p.300-306
• Main Authors: Bosse, Hans Martin, Schultz, Jobst-Hendrik, Nickel, Martin, Lutz, Thomas, Möltner, Andreas, Jünger, Jana, Huwendiek, Sören, Nikendei, Christoph
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Biological and medical sciences; Child; Child, Preschool; Clinical Competence; Communication; Communication skills training; Communication training; Curriculum; Education, Medical, Undergraduate - methods; Educational Measurement - methods; Female; Humans; Internal Medicine; Male; Medical sciences; Medical students; Miscellaneous; Nursing; Parents; Patient perspective; Patient Simulation; Pediatrics - education; Peer Group; Peer role play; Physician-Patient Relations; Professional-Family Relations; Public health. Hygiene; Public health. Hygiene-occupational medicine; Randomized controlled trials; Role Playing; Self Efficacy; Selfefficacy; Standardized patient; Standardized patients; Students, Medical - psychology; Surveys and Questionnaires; Undergraduate medical education; Young Adult
• ISSN: 0738-3991; 1873-5134
• DOI: 10.1016/j.pec.2011.10.007

Abstract Objectives Considering the expense of standardized patients (SP) for training communication skills and the convenience of peer role playing (RP) there is a surprising lack of studies directly comparing the two methods. Methods Fifth year medical students ( N = 103) were assigned to three groups receiving a training in counseling parents of sick children with RP ( N = 34) or SP ( N = 35) or to a control group (CG, N = 34). We assessed self-efficacy, as well as objective performance in parent–physician communication using questionnaires and the Calgary-Cambridge-Observation-Guide Checklist in a six-station OSCE, respectively. Results The training led to an increase in self-efficacy ratings and in the post-intervention OSCE score after RP ( p < .021 and p < .001 respectively) and SP-training ( p < .007 and p < .006 respectively) compared to controls. Surprisingly, this benefit was higher after RP than after SP-training ( p < .021) due to significantly higher performance in the domain understanding of parents ’ perspective ( p < .001). Conclusion Both RP and SP are valuable tools for training specific communication skills. RP offer a methodological advantage in fostering empathy for patient perspectives. Practice implications Both peer-role-play and standardized patients hold specific benefits for communication training. Peer-role-play seems to foster a more empathic approach towards patients’ concerns justifying its prominent role in medical curricula.