Developing standardized patient-based cases for communication training: lessons learned from training residents to communicate diagnostic uncertainty

Lead Author: Dimitrios Papanagnou
Submitted by: Marsha Harman, Rush Center for Clinical Skills and Simulation

Effective case design is essential to ensure an SP encounter successfully meets learning objectives that are focused on communication skills. Creative, well-designed case scenarios offer learners the opportunity to engage in complex patient encounters, while challenging them to address the personal and emotional contexts in which their patients are situated. Therefore, prior to considering the practical execution of the patient encounter, educators will first need a clear and structured strategy for writing, organizing, and developing cases. 

The authors reflect on lessons learned in developing standardized patient-based cases to train learners to communicate to patients during times of diagnostic uncertainty. The article is quite straightforward and offers practical suggestions and strategies, including ensuring clear communication objectives, recruiting an interprofessional group of case developers, constructing evidence-based scenarios of similar complexity, including diverse patient demographics, looking for and mitigating implicit biases, describing the patient’s emotional state and including specific prompts and responses, and piloting each case. 

Read the full article in Advances in Simulation here.  

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