Assessing the equivalency of face-to-face and online simulated patient interviews in an educational intervention
Abstract Background In adapting to COVID-19, many health professional training programs moved abruptly from in-person to online simulated patient interviews for teaching and evaluation without the benefit of evidence regarding the efficacy of this mode of delivery. This paper reports on a multi-meth...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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BMC
2024-04-01
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| Series: | Advances in Simulation |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s41077-024-00286-3 |
| _version_ | 1797219912854274048 |
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| author | Cheryl Regehr Arija Birze |
| author_facet | Cheryl Regehr Arija Birze |
| author_sort | Cheryl Regehr |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background In adapting to COVID-19, many health professional training programs moved abruptly from in-person to online simulated patient interviews for teaching and evaluation without the benefit of evidence regarding the efficacy of this mode of delivery. This paper reports on a multi-methods research project comparing in-person and online simulated patient interviews conducted by allied health professionals as part of an educational intervention offered at a large university teaching hospital. Methods Twenty-three participants conducted two 15-min interviews with simulated patients using previously validated scenarios of patients presenting with suicide risk. In order to assess the equivalency of the two modalities, physiological and psychological stress were measured using heart rate variability parameters and the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory respectively, and then were compared across cohorts using t-tests. Reflective interviews elicited qualitative impressions of the simulations that were subject to thematic qualitative analysis. Results There were no statistical differences in measures of psychological stress or physiological arousal of participant health care professionals who engaged with in-person versus online simulated interviews, suggesting they were equally effective in eliciting reactions commonly found in challenging clinical situations. In reflective interviews, participants commented on the realism of both modalities of simulated patient encounters and that simulated interviews provoked emotional and physiological responses consistent with actual patient encounters. Conclusions These findings provide developing evidence that carefully designed online clinical simulations can be a useful tool for the education and assessment of healthcare professionals. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-24T12:41:11Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-213366d613944fea8e30e616bd471321 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2059-0628 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-24T12:41:11Z |
| publishDate | 2024-04-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Advances in Simulation |
| spelling | doaj.art-213366d613944fea8e30e616bd4713212024-04-07T11:12:15ZengBMCAdvances in Simulation2059-06282024-04-019111010.1186/s41077-024-00286-3Assessing the equivalency of face-to-face and online simulated patient interviews in an educational interventionCheryl Regehr0Arija Birze1Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work, University of TorontoInstitute for Better Health, Trillium Health PartnersAbstract Background In adapting to COVID-19, many health professional training programs moved abruptly from in-person to online simulated patient interviews for teaching and evaluation without the benefit of evidence regarding the efficacy of this mode of delivery. This paper reports on a multi-methods research project comparing in-person and online simulated patient interviews conducted by allied health professionals as part of an educational intervention offered at a large university teaching hospital. Methods Twenty-three participants conducted two 15-min interviews with simulated patients using previously validated scenarios of patients presenting with suicide risk. In order to assess the equivalency of the two modalities, physiological and psychological stress were measured using heart rate variability parameters and the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory respectively, and then were compared across cohorts using t-tests. Reflective interviews elicited qualitative impressions of the simulations that were subject to thematic qualitative analysis. Results There were no statistical differences in measures of psychological stress or physiological arousal of participant health care professionals who engaged with in-person versus online simulated interviews, suggesting they were equally effective in eliciting reactions commonly found in challenging clinical situations. In reflective interviews, participants commented on the realism of both modalities of simulated patient encounters and that simulated interviews provoked emotional and physiological responses consistent with actual patient encounters. Conclusions These findings provide developing evidence that carefully designed online clinical simulations can be a useful tool for the education and assessment of healthcare professionals.https://doi.org/10.1186/s41077-024-00286-3SimulationOSCEHealth professional studentsOnline |
| spellingShingle | Cheryl Regehr Arija Birze Assessing the equivalency of face-to-face and online simulated patient interviews in an educational intervention Advances in Simulation Simulation OSCE Health professional students Online |
| title | Assessing the equivalency of face-to-face and online simulated patient interviews in an educational intervention |
| title_full | Assessing the equivalency of face-to-face and online simulated patient interviews in an educational intervention |
| title_fullStr | Assessing the equivalency of face-to-face and online simulated patient interviews in an educational intervention |
| title_full_unstemmed | Assessing the equivalency of face-to-face and online simulated patient interviews in an educational intervention |
| title_short | Assessing the equivalency of face-to-face and online simulated patient interviews in an educational intervention |
| title_sort | assessing the equivalency of face to face and online simulated patient interviews in an educational intervention |
| topic | Simulation OSCE Health professional students Online |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s41077-024-00286-3 |
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