Usefulness of a short training seminar on how to handle difficult patients in simulated education

Figures & data

Table 1 Pre-seminar questionnaire items

Pre-seminar
1) You have confidence in your ability to handle difficult patients.
2) You have learning motivation to handle difficult patients.

Note: According to the 7-point Likert scale.

Table 2 Post-seminar questionnaire items

Post-seminar
1) You have confidence in your ability to handle difficult patients.
2) You have learning motivation to handle difficult patients.
3) Satisfied with the seminar.
4) You have acquired new knowledge.
5) Performance of the simulated patient.
6) Duration of the seminar.
7) Impressions and comments on the seminar.

Notes: The 7-point Likert scale was used for items 1–6. A free-text section was allocated for item 7).

Table 3 Outcomes: confidence in ability to handle difficult patients and learning motivation to handle difficult patients

	Participants (n=63)
	Pre-test mean (SD)	Post-test mean (SD)	p-value
Confidence in ability to handle difficult patients*	3.1 (1.6)	4.0 (1.5)	<0.01
Learning motivation to handle difficult patients*	5.3 (1.8)	5.8 (1.5)	<0.01

Note: *1: strongly disagree, 7: strongly agree.

Figure 1 Pre- and post-seminar mean self-assessment scores on confidence in ability to handle difficult patients are shown. The mean score on “confidence in ability to handle difficult patients” increased from 3.1±1.6 before the seminar to 4.0±1.5 after the seminar (p<0.01).

Figure 2 Pre- and post-seminar mean self-assessment scores on learning motivation to handle difficult patients are shown. The mean score on “learning motivation to handle difficult patients” increased from 5.3±1.8 before the seminar to 5.8±1.5 after the seminar (p<0.01).

Table S1 Questionnaire results

Participants’ number	Confidence in ability to handle difficult patients (pre-/post-seminar)	Learning motivation to handle difficult patients (pre-/post-seminar)	Satisfaction with the seminar	Acquisition of new knowledge
1	1/1	5/5	4	4
2	5/1	7/6	7	7
3	1/2	5/5	5	5
4	2/2	4/5	5	5
5	2/2	6/5	5	5
6	2/2	7/6	6	5
7	3/2	6/6	5	5
8	3/2	6/6	6	5
9	1/3	7/6	6	6
10	1/3	2/7	7	6
11	2/3	6/5	5	5
12	3/3	2/6	5	4
13	3/3	6/6	6	5
14	3/3	7/7	6	6
15	4/3	2/2	5	4
16	4/3	4/3	5	5
17	4/3	6/7	7	6
18	4/3	7/7	6	5
19	4/3	7/7	7	6
20	1/4	5/6	6	5
21	1/4	7/7	7	7
22	2/4	4/5	5	5
23	2/4	6/5	5	6
24	2/4	6/7	7	7
25	2/4	7/7	7	7
26	3/4	5/5	5	5
27	3/4	5/5	7	7
28	3/4	5/6	5	5
29	3/4	5/6	5	7
30	3/4	5/6	6	5
31	3/4	5/6	6	6
32	3/4	7/7	7	6
33	4/4	4/4	4	4
34	4/4	6/5	6	6
35	4/4	4/6	6	6
36	4/4	6/6	4	3
37	4/4	4/7	7	7
38	4/4	6/7	6	7
39	5/4	5/4	4	4
40	1/5	3/5	6	7
41	1/5	5/5	6	6
42	2/5	5/6	6	6
43	2/5	5/7	6	5
44	2/5	7/7	6	6
45	2/5	7/7	6	7
46	2/5	7/7	7	7
47	3/5	6/6	7	7
48	3/5	5/7	7	7
49	4/5	3/5	4	6
50	4/5	4/5	5	5
51	4/5	6/6	5	6
52	5/5	5/6	6	5
53	5/5	5/6	6	7
54	5/5	6/6	5	5
55	5/5	6/6	6	5
56	5/5	6/6	6	6
57	5/5	5/7	7	7
58	5/5	7/7	6	6
59	3/6	5/6	6	5
60	4/6	6/6	6	7
61	4/6	7/7	7	7
62	5/6	1/2	6	5
63	5/6	7/5	6	6
Average	3.1/4.0	5.3/5.8	5.8	5.7