Sören Huwendiek, Cecilia Duncker, Friedrich Reichert, Bas A De Leng, Diana Dolmans, Cees P M van der Vleuten, Martin Haag, Georg Friedrich Hoffmann, Burkhard Tönshoff
Learner preferences regarding integrating, sequencing and aligning virtual patients with other activities in the undergraduate medical curriculum: A focus group study
Medical teacher
useful advance simulated patient sp participation teaching improve communication skills medical students study aims explore current state chinese mainland sp education cross sectional survey designed utilizing well defined quantitative research methods descriptive statistics questionnaire sought information elucidated current status spbased education origin spbased learning sp training challenges learning strategy future developments questionnaires distributed 79 medical colleges mainland china 68 returned 64 constituted valid responses 81 number spbased education activities medical colleges offering 5year7year 8year clinical medicine programs significantly higher medical colleges offered single 5year program p 001 communication skills training accounted 73 content spbased learning activities expected rise future 90 response need improve doctorpatient relationships persons recruited simulated patients included students 21 total residents 49 medical staff 15 teaching staff 14 colleges planning spbased education program preferred teachers 80 students 55 assume simulated patient roles objective structured clinical education osce scenarios coscoring sps teachers featured highly consultation station doctorpatient communication station number factors identified hindering future development implementation spbased learning including budget restraints sp selection training spbased learning programs offer clear benefits improving clinical education medical students communication skills main obstacles achieving widespread higher quality spbased education insufficient funding lack standardized training performance evaluation processes simulated patients medical colleges consider reducing proportion students teachers acting sps attract citizens participate spbased learning activities formalised training evaluation sps performance necessary establish standard simulated patient particular medical discipline thus improving spbased activities student learning