An integrated approach to consultation coaching using professional actors as simulated patients

Abstract

Consultation workshops are an integral part of undergraduate and postgraduate medical education at the University of Otago in New Zealand. Professional actors are used as simulated patients for teaching and assessment, and one of the Otago methods of using actors is outlined. The Ontario model of patient-centred medicine is being gradually introduced into the curriculum, using the distinction between disease and the patient's experience of illness. A detailed analysis of the consultation workshop includes the tasks and experience of the consulting doctor, and the tasks and focus points for the teacher. Several examples illustrate the importance of the relationship between doctor and patient, and between teacher and student.