Nine simulated patients graduate from ‘drama school’
A new technique first used this year at UTAS to educate young doctors in patient communication skills has had amazing results so far, according to the deputy head of the School of Medicine, Professor Richard Turner.
Student doctors at UTAS’ Hobart Clinical School are involved in the Simulated Patient Program, where regular community members role-play as patients.
Professor Richard Turner, deputy head of the School of Medicine, says using actors in this role is not new – but using regular community members with no drama experience is new.
“Of course our medical students need a solid grasp of the clinical sciences but the fact remains that most of the complaints they receive as future doctors will be as a result of poor communication with their patients,” he said.
At the start of 2012, 10 men and women of various ages began an intensive six-week course in performance skills and improvisation, conducted by drama academic and practitioner Professor Michael Beresford.
Prof Turner said the Hobart residents have been trained to listen to students in a variety of clinical scenarios and to respond in character.
“Using actors in medical education is not new. But we have sourced people from the local community with little, if any, drama experience. The Simulated Patients, or Simpats as we like to call them, therefore provide the community with a very real stake in the education of its future medical workforce.”
For doctors learning communication skills, Prof Turner said that working with Simulated Patients provided an essential bridge between theoretical learning, observation and communicating with real patients. “I am amazed at the results so far. The impromptu scenarios I saw enacted were deeply moving, authentic and highly instructive,’’ he said.
Today at MS1 a medical scenario in which a patient, played by Cherie Osborn, was given bad news by a young doctor (first-year science student Lucas Ryan) was played out. Looking on and taking notes were two real trainee medicos, fifth-year students Golsa Adabi and Elvine Neo.
“We have had involved in scenarios before but this is taking it to a new level,” said Elvine. “The stimulated patients have been given additional dramatic skills to be able to act out really difficult scenarios.”
In this particular scenario the patient was “pretty aggressive,” he said. “It is good to get a feel for what it might be like when we are out in the field. As trainees we do encounter difficult patients when we are visiting wards but often a registrar or resident [doctor] will step in to protect us.”
Sometimes it is also nerve-whacking for the stimulated patient, Cherie added, “especially when students are operating under exam conditions and you don’t want to muck it up for them”.
Caption: Role-players Lucas Ryan and Cherie Osborn.