Lessons learned from an adolescent simulated patient educational program: Five years of experience

Abstract

Background: The use of adolescents as standardized patients (SPs) in medical education has scarcely been reported. We evaluated the views of teachers, students and adolescent SPs with regard to the adolescent SP program in our undergraduate curriculum and the changes that were made to the program in the past five years (from 2002–2003 until 2006–2007).

Method: Adolescent girls were recruited to portray roles of adolescents asking their general practitioner for an oral contraceptive. Students rated the quality of the adolescent SPs? role performance and feedback on a validated questionnaire (the MaSP). Both adolescent SPs and faculty teachers completed questionnaires on their experiences.

Results: Over the past five years, 201 to 341 students gave the adolescent SPs? general performance a mean mark that varied from 7.5 to 8 out of 10. Generally, evaluations by teachers and adolescent SPs about the adolescent SP program were also very positive. The quality of the feedback by adolescent SPs has shown improvement over the past five years, although adolescents find it quite difficult to give feedback.

Conclusions: Teachers, students and adolescent SPs have highly valued the adolescent SP program over the past five years. The program has been changed on the basis of the lessons learned and has become mature.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Lonneke Bokken

LONNEKE BOKKEN, MD, is a PhD student at the department of Educational Development and Research, University of Maastricht.

Jan Van Dalen

JAN VAN DALEN, PhD, is a clinical psychologist, coordinator of the teaching and assessment of communication skills and director of the Master of Health Professions Education (MHPE) program.

Albert Scherpbier

ALBERT SCHERPBIER, MD, PhD, is a professor of Quality Assurance in Medical Education and scientific director of the Institute for Medical Education, Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, University of Maastricht.

Cees Van Der Vleuten

CEES VAN DER VLEUTEN, PhD, is a professor and chair of the department of Educational Development and Research, University of Maastricht.

Jan-Joost Rethans

JAN-JOOST RETHANS, MD, PhD, is general practitioner and associate professor at the Skillslab, University of Maastricht and coordinator of the communication skills and simulated patient program.