Lead Author: April R. Christensen, MD, MS
Submitted by: Mekail Ebbert, NYIT-COM @ Arkansas State University

With patient communication being a crucial skill for medical professionals, ongoing focus on the design and implementation of meaningful and well-written SP communication cases is imperative to healthcare education. Surveyed educators in this study reported a struggle to write communication cases with a lack of clear guidelines, yet a reported 90% interested in learning more. See how the creation and piloting of a “...workbook that guides SP case development, paired with an in-person case-writing session to teach medical educators a skill vital to conducting effective communication skills education... significantly increased the quality of SP cases, with high reported educator confidence and satisfaction.”

Authors: Shanna Barton, Aaron Calhoun, Carrie Bohnert, et al.
Submitted by: Janice Radway, The Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania

Despite the well-known individual and societal benefits of childhood immunization programs and the demonstrated safety of vaccines, many parents are hesitant to have their children vaccinated. Vaccine hesitancy is more than a simple delay or refusal of vaccination. Rather, it can be characterized as a state of mind regarding immunization marked by uncertainty, indecision, conflict, or opposition, and it is best understood as a complex phenomenon with deep sociocultural and psychological roots. The authors developed a laboratory in which communication could be studied in a codified and controlled environment, using standardized patients portraying vaccine-hesitant parents, video-recording, assessment by blinded raters, and a pseudorandomized assignment of pediatric residents to AIMS or standard of care training.

Lead author: Jacqueline Ward-Gaines, MD
Submitted by: Erin Walsh, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science

To address the lack of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) training in residency programs the authors created a simulation exercise for medicine residents with the objective to increase cultural and structural awareness. The simulation included groups of residents rotating through eight scenarios that were each focused on a cultural competency crucial to DEI training. Standardized patients gave feedback to the residents after each case and the residents debriefed with simulation directors. Preliminary data indicates that mass simulation can be an effective teaching method for residents learning about diversity, health equity, inclusivity, and cultural humility.

Authors: Anish K. Agarwal, David A. Asch, Jeffrey Millstein
Submitted by: Janice Radway, The Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania

A passenger is pinged moments after exiting their rideshare vehicle with a request to “rate your driver” using a simple 5-star rating. A few extra typed comments offer detail and context — completed in just moments. The same person, now exiting a doctor's appointment, receives no such alert. Instead, weeks later, they receive a mailed survey consisting of 30, or more, questions spanning a range of content: getting an appointment, interactions with the reception staff, communication by the clinician, and the cleanliness of facilities. It's not just that the survey relies on an ability to recall and report on these long-ago interactions and how they felt—it’s likely the response is the only item that person will physically mail in weeks, if in the end it is mailed at all. In an increasingly digital world where real-time ratings and just-in-time feedback have become routine across a variety of industries, how can healthcare adapt and evolve?

By: Anthony E. Tuggle, NFK National Board Chair
Submitted by: Kerensa Peterson, University of California Riverside

After a recent discussion with faculty about the estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), I received the latest monthly newsletter from the US National Kidney Foundation. In the newsletter, there was a piece highlighting a joint task force that was formed by the NKF and ASN in 2020 to reassess the inclusion of race in the diagnosis of kidney disease. “Both organizations have repeatedly asserted that race, is a social, not a biological, construct.”

Authors: Janae K. Heath, C. Jessica Dine; Denise LaMarra; Serena Cardillo
Submitted by: Janice Radway, The Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania

This retrospective study (2012-2018) examined the impact of gender and race on SP assessments of internal medicine (IM) residents' communication skills during the postgraduate year (PGY) 1. Until now, the impact of SP and resident demographics on the standardized communication ratings in residents had not been evaluated. The data demonstrate an association of resident gender on ratings in standardized communication exercises, across multiple communication skills. Understanding the impact of implicit biases on these assessments is critical.

By: Nick Neel, John-Michael Maury, Karen M. Heskett, Alana Iglewicz & Lina Lander
Submitted by: John-Michael Maury, UC-San Diego – School of Medicine

“Medical students experience rising rates of burnout throughout their training. Efforts have been made to not only mitigate its negative effects but also prevent its development. Medical improv takes the basic ideas of improvisational theatre and applies them to clinical situations. Given improv’s focus on self-awareness and reflection, in addition to its spontaneous nature, we hypothesized it had the potential to serve as a creative outlet, a way to prevent and/or mitigate the negative effects of stress, burnout, and fatigue, and provide a learning environment to develop skills necessary to succeed as a physician. University of California (UC) San Diego School of Medicine developed a medical improv elective for pre-clinical students and assessed its effects on student development and wellbeing. Students enrolled in the elective between Fall 2019 and Fall 2020 at UC San Diego School of Medicine were surveyed pre-and post-course completion using both qualitative and quantitative methods. Students noted significant improvement in domains related to proactivity in their professional career, wellbeing, engagement with their studies, and communication after completion of the medical improv elective. We describe a pilot-study demonstrating the positive effects of improv on medical student wellbeing and professional development, laying the groundwork for both future study of improv on student wellness and its implementation in the pre-clinical curriculum.”

Submitted By: Dena Higbee

Full Center Name: Russell D. & Mary B. Shelden Clinical Simulation Center

Lead Author: Samantha A. Starr, BS et al
Submitted by: Claudia Arancibia & Sergio Bozzo, Clinical Skills Center, University of Chile

SPs’ participation in medical education is becoming broader and more powerful in assessments, physical examination instruction and debriefing. Just as their role expands, so does the interest in knowing their perspectives, their thoughts, and their vision of the role they play. If you ask SPs about who they have become since they started working as SPs, you will discover how they have changed, and this could be something big, like a new identity. You may think, this should be expected, as with students and SP educators, but we have not known much about it. This knowledge could be important as you consider its influence on future activities and the development of an SP program.

Lead author: Christine Park and Bob Kiser
Submitted by: Janice Radway, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania

Each day, all over the world, thousands of healthcare learners experience the power of simulation. BS-Beyond Simulation, explores the stories of the people behind these masterfully implemented simulations. Join Christine Park and Bob Kiser as they find out the REAL story of how these connoisseurs got into simulation and why they stayed! This is the "behind the music" podcast for the world of simulation.

Submitted by: Dan Brown, Emory University

The long-awaited ASPE Center for SP Methodology is now live and available for ASPE members. Communications and Connections Committee Dan Brown interviewed Member Liaison Cory Krebsbach, who spearheaded the launch of the Center.

By: Marsha Harman, Rush Center for Clinical Skills and Simulation

I attended my first ASPE conference in Orlando in 2019, and my second from the comfort of my office earlier this summer. The two experiences could not have been more different, not only because one was in person and one was virtual, but because of the difference in how I approached each event.

Submitted by: Janice Radway, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania

One of the highlights at every ASPE Conference is Karen Szauter’s literary review. She presents highlights from research published in the last year in the field of simulation. It’s fast, it’s educational, it’s entertaining – and usually standing room only. At this year’s virtual conference, Ms. Szauter presented “We Stop for No Storm”, a title inspired by a telegram from the year 1900 during a storm at the University of Texas in Galveston. She has been presenting this session since 2011, and this year is scheduled to be her last.

Submitted by: Dan Brown, Emory University

The closing plenary for ASPE’s 2021 Virtual Conference was a surprise – three of ASPE’s past and present leaders spoke about where ASPE has been, where we are, and where we’re going. Conference Chair Jen Owens introduced the three speakers by talking about what she wanted out of the closing plenary and why it came together the way it did – she wanted to “leave the attendees reflecting on all the sessions they’d seen… to feel challenged by the thoughts of others they’d heard and feel connected to the work and the people that do it… to leave feeling encouraged, that drive to make change happen… to see familiar faces telling their stories.” She identified Mary Cantrell, Gina Shannon, and Carrie Bohnert (all former winners of either ASPE Educator of the Year or Emerging Leader) as the people whose stories she wanted told. So she invited them to speak, and the plenary came together.

By: John-Michael Maury, UC-San Diego – School of Medicine

ASPE Virtual Conference 2021 attendees were honored to receive the wisdom from opening plenary speaker Grace E. Henry, EdD. Dr. Henry is the Assistant Dean for Diversity and Inclusion in the School of Medicine and Health Sciences (SMHS) at George Washington University. With over 22 years of higher education experience in the areas of Student Activities, Leadership Development, Freshman Orientation, Greek Life, Judicial Services, Residential Life, Student Organization Risk Management, Diversity and Inclusion, and Anti-Racism Education Dr. Henry presented us all with a vast array of information. We were very fortunate to have this proud native of St. Thomas, USVI share with us her knowledge and experience.

Submitted by: Mary Launder, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science

I was fortunate to be able to attend the 2021 ASPE Conference. What a special conference this year, it had so much depth and heart! One way this depth of extraordinary work and contributions given to the ASPE community are highlighted is through the annual awards presented to those outstanding members who serve the ASPE community. Eligible ASPE members are nominated by colleagues and coworkers and the nomination committees hold a standard fair and inclusive process. The awards ceremony started with the ASPE Emerging Leader Award which recognizes an ASPE member who has “worked in human simulation for less than seven years, made significant contributions at the ASPE conference and ASPE committees, and [are] recognized as up-and-coming leaders in the profession.” The award was presented to Cory Krebsbach.

Published in cooperation with the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB)
Submitted by: Kerensa Peterson, NBOME

“When the pandemic rapidly developed in the US in mid-spring of this year (2020), it impacted all teaching programs from early childhood to professional schools and many stop-gap changes were introduced to allow virtual instruction to replace face-to-face teacher-student contact across this spectrum. With the time engendered by the summer months in 2020, many teaching programs/curricula have fine-tuned these changes made to accommodate the virtual format. In this Special Collection, the approaches taken by several medical schools, ranging from individual courses to the full curricula, are described. It is our intention to revisit these programs over the next year to evaluate what worked well and what did not.  

Lead author: Samuel Zverev
Submitted by: Janice Radway, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania

“She squirmed, sobbing hysterically, grabbing onto the railing of the inpatient hospital bed with IVs still bound to her arm. A grown woman was shouting and crying, not because of physical pain or injury, but out of fear. The sea of medical professionals surrounding her bed only seemed to exacerbate her dismay. She refused to acknowledge any of them, consciously omitting the small army of physicians and nurses crowding her room. She would only speak with one person … me.”

By: J. Talwalkar, K. Cyrus, A. Fortin
Submitted by Kathy Herzberger, Loma Linda School of Medicine

The authors have placed into twelve succinct steps what is required to tackle a new project utilizing standardized patients. This will be a review for some, but for newcomers to the realm of SP work, this is a good outline to utilize to create successful activities.

Lead author: Jennifer Hunter
Submitted by: Janice Radway, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania

Culturally appropriate communication between healthcare professionals and with patients is widely recognised as a cornerstone of high quality, patient-centred care. The widespread use of traditional, complementary, and integrative medicine (TCIM) necessitates that patient-centre communication and cultural competency in healthcare extends beyond race, ethnicity, and languages spoken to also include an awareness of, and respect for the diverse range of healthcare practices, paradigms, and lexicons that patients and practitioners use. Education can equip practitioners with the necessary communication skills and expand their knowledge about the therapies and practices that patients are accessing.