Research Article: An Easy-to-build, Low-budget Point-of-care Ultrasound Simulator - From Linux to a Web-based Solution
Lead Author: Domagoj Damjanovic
Submitted by: Kerensa Peterson, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine

Finding a hands-on ultrasound simulator that is inexpensive and easy to access in any setting is a challenge for many medical schools.  There are computer-based programs that have been developed that are either affordable or accessible but combining these two principles has remained challenging – until now.  The authors of this study analyzed the usability of an HTML-based solution to this problem that they created based on the developers of the original EDUS2, Paul Kulyk and Paul Olszynski.  Take a look at this incredible innovation in the Critical Ultrasound Journal here.

Research Article: Communicating to Promote Informed Decisions in the Context of Early Pregnancy Loss
Lead Author: Maria Brann
Submitted by: Michael Maury, UCSD School of Medicine

In this research article, authors Maria Brann and Jennifer J. Bute of the Department of Communication Studies at Indiana University and Purdue University facilitated a simulation in which interns engaged with Standardized Patients portraying woman who had just experienced a miscarriage, in “minimum informed decision making (IDM).” They note that “As many as 25% of known pregnancies end in a miscarriage” and “evidence suggests that informed decision making does not occur in many cases of early pregnancy loss.” The purpose of their study was “to evaluate an OSCE program in which OB/GYN residents are trained using standardized patients to engage women in decision making during a pregnancy loss scenario.”

Research Article: Twelve Tips for Conducting Successful Multiple Patient Encounter Simulations (Simultaneous Simulations)
Lead author: Craig Brown
Submitted by: Todd Lash, Publications Committee Chair

The authors described twelve tips for conducting successful multiple patient encounter simulations (MPES), divided into pre-, intra- and post-simulation considerations. They conclude that with these twelve tips, educators can plan successful, fiscally responsible, well-organized, structured sessions for all learners (active and observing) that will achieve the learning outcomes desired using this advanced method of simulation. MPES offer a host of opportunities for learners and educators alike in ways that single patient encounter simulations cannot. Whilst this method of learning adds in increasing complexity for simulation designers, facilitators and learners by its inherent nature this should be embraced as a strength of this educational approach. Read the full article in Medical Teacherhere.

Research Article: Use of Simulation to Integrate Cultural Humility Into Advanced Health Assessment for Nurse Practitioner Students
Lead author: Abraham N. Ndiwane
Submitted by: Todd Lash, Publications Committee Chair

To access cultural issues and level of student satisfaction, the authors created an Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) offered to nurse practitioner students practice in simulation. This learning activity included pre- and post-assessments of knowledge on cultural content. Course content included an exemplar video and a simulation interview with an African American standardized patient. Standardized patient scenarios scored highest for satisfaction, followed by critical thinking, and with self-confidence scoring lowest. The favorable knowledge outcomes from this teaching intervention support future applications of OSCE methodology for teaching sensitive cross-cultural content. Read the full article in the Journal of Nursing Educationhere.

Media Article: MU Health Care Holds Outdoor Emergency Training
By: Maia McDonald
Submitted by: Dena Higbee, Missouri University Shelden Clinical Simulation Center

Rock Bride Memorial State Park looked anything but normal with hikers oozing fake blood, groaning out like they were in pain while strewn out across the rock-filled stream.  Others peeked around trees, anxious and worried as Boone County firefighters worked frantically to treat the "injured." Read the full article on the KOMU website here.

Media Article: Learning Is a Behavior - Supporting How Learners Learn
By: Brian S. McGowan, Ph.D., FACEhp
Submitted by: Janice Radway, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania

While almost every training professional can point to one or two examples of an intervention that achieved nearly everything it was designed to, it’s not exactly the norm. Engaging learners is challenging. Their attention ebbs and flows, and even in the best of scenarios, you may be content if a small percentage of participants learns a small percentage of the content. Read the full article at Trainingindustry.com here.

General Interest: Kathryn
By: David Muller, MD
Submitted by: Dan Brown, Emory School of Medicine

Dr. Muller begins with a story of a fourth-year medical student that took her own life, and ends with a call to action at his own school, encouraging the same of others. He describes the relentless pressure faced by prospective and current students, and calls for a culture change. For us, as educators administering the tests that cause the learners some of the greatest stress of their academic careers, this can serve as a reminder of the fragile mental state they may be in.Read the full article in the New England Journal of Medicinehere.

Research Article: Effectiveness of Mental Health Simulation in Replacing Traditional Clinical Hours in Baccalaureate Nursing Education
By: Denise A. Soccio, DNP, RN
Submitted by: Janice Radway, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania

The purpose of the current study was to (a) determine whether baccalaureate nursing students receiving mental health simulation as a replacement for 25% of traditional clinical hours have equivalent or greater mental health knowledge and self-confidence compared to those who did not receive this simulation; and (b) explore students' perceptions of their mental health simulation compared to traditional clinical hours. An evidence-based practice pilot study was conducted using a mixed-methods design. Quantitative data demonstrated that students who received mental health simulation as a replacement for 25% of traditional clinical hours have equivalent mental health knowledge and self-confidence as those who did not receive the simulation. Qualitative data indicated students found the simulation helpful in learning how to manage patient behaviors. The current study provides substantial evidence that simulation can be used as a replacement for 25% of traditional clinical hours in mental health nursing.Read the full article in the Journal of Psychosocial Nursing and Mental Health Services here.

Research Article: A simulated “Night-onCall” to assess and address the readiness-for-internship of transitioning medical students
Lead Author: Adina Kalet
Submitted by: Michael Maury, UCSD School of Medicine

“Medical students transitioning from undergraduate medical education (UME) to graduate medical education, experience uncertainty and distress about their readiness-for-internship. This lack of readiness may be partially responsible for the “July effect”—a reported increase of 10% in fatal medical errors in teaching hospitals in North America when these new graduates enter the workforce each July.”This article lays out the details of a simulated “Night-on-Call” (NOC) for incoming interns and residents providing them with “an authentic educational experience” to help ease any anxiety about their new appointments.Read the full article in Advances in Simulation here.

Research Article: Assessing the Believability of Standardized Patients Trained to Portray Communication Disorders
Lead Author: Carolyn Baylor
Submitted by: Kerensa Peterson, Northwestern UniversityFeinberg School of Medicine

The use of Standardized Patients in various healthcare fields is growing. The authors of this study set out to show that SPs are believable and, therefore, useful in teaching speech-language pathologists. While there is much research that has focused on standardized patient use in other areas of healthcare education, speech pathology has not yet made many contributions to the body of research on simulated experiences. This study offers a look into the authenticity of SP portrayals of communication disorders.Read the full article in the American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology here.

Podcasts: KeyLIME and Pomegranate Health Offer Podcasts in Medicine
Submitted by: Todd Lash, Publications Committee Chair

If you have ever wished you had more time to read medical education articles or other resources but just can’t seem to find the time in your schedule, consider multitasking and listening to a podcast while you work. Two resources, Key Literature in Medical Education (KeyLIME) and Pomegranate Health offer podcasts that discuss the main points of a medical education article in just 20 minutes, or present stories about clinical decision-making, physician well-being or socio-ethical challenges in medicine, respectively. You can listen to podcasts directly from the website or you can subscribe on iTunes or other podcast streaming apps. Listen in for something different or a change of pace!

Essay: A Standardized Patient’s Medical Journey – When Art Imitates Life
By: Stephen Fairchild, Standardized Patient and Actual Patient, UNC Chapel Hill School of Medicine

Stephen Fairchild, a standardized patient at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill School of Medicine, recently submitted an essay to the ASPE eNews Blog recounting his experience working as an SP, and how that experience resulted in him being a better actual patient as well as a better advocate for his own health.Thank you, Stephen, for sharing your experience.

Media Article: Rehearsing Transgender Healthcare
By: Alex Stern
Submitted by: Todd Lash, Publications Committee Chair

Bianca Leigh is playing a character named Tia Lopez.“Tia Lopez is a 36-year-old woman of trans experience. She works as a bartender. She’s in a two-year relationship with her boyfriend, and she has come for her annual physical,” Leigh explains.Leigh is a standardized patient — an actor, pretending to be sick or coming in for a fake checkup, so medical students can practice being doctors in a low-risk environment. She is one of several “patients” that students at New York University School of Medicine will practice with today. Read the full article on Newsworks.org here.

Media Article: 5 Principles for the Teacher of Adults
By: Deb Peterson
Submitted by: Todd Lash, Publications Committee Chair

The teacher of adults has a different job from the one who teaches children. If you're teaching adult students, for the best results it's important to understand and practice five principles espoused by Malcolm Knowles, a pioneer in the study of adult learning. He observed that adults learn best when:

Media Article: Pretend Patients Getting Paid to Play Sick
By: Austin O’Connor
Submitted by: Todd Lash, Publications Committee Chair

Pretending to be sick isn't just for high school students who haven't studied for exams or the office worker trying to sneak in a sunny afternoon at the ballpark. In fact, faking illness can be a nice little side gig — if you have the desire and skills to act out an ailment and be examined by medical students in training.Read the full article on the AARP website here.

Podcast: ASPE Standards of Best Practice
By: Karen Lewis and Carrie Bohnert
Advances in Simulation invited authors Karen Lewis and Carrie Bohnert to participate in a podcast about the ASPE Standards of Best Practice. ASPE members can listen to the podcast here.

Publications Committee Mission:“To bring high quality reporting of current research, trends, techniques and information regarding SP methodology and other relevant industry articles to the attention of the membership through the web-based ASPE eNews blog.”

Medical Education: “There’s a Person in There”
By: Joe Burns
Submitted by: Todd Lash, Publications Committee Chair

The elderly female patient was a frequent visitor of the dermatology clinic.  Her physician had provided routine care for her, removing suspicious spots for decades.  Today she was presenting for an exacerbation of her psoriasis.  We entered the room and the patient was visibly distraught.  She was wearing a wrinkled t-shirt and old jeans, a stark contrast to her usual Southern Lilly Pulitzer dresses.  As we began taking her history, she broke down, bawling over her psoriasis. Read the full articleat Reflective MedEdhere.

Podcast: How Standardized Patients Work
By: Josh Clark and Chuck Bryant, Stuff You Should Know
Submitted by: Anna Lank, C3NY

Even the most brilliant medical minds need a good bedside manner, and thanks to standardized patients, they can improve their skills. What are they? Part-time workers who pretend to be real patients so doctors can practice on live humans. If you're remembering Kramer on Seinfeld right about now, you're not alone.Listen to the podcast here.

General Interest: Med Students Create App to Connect LGBTQ Patient, Inclusive Doctors
By: Rebecca Oh
Submitted by: Stephen Charles, Educational Resources Committee Chair

Three medical students at the University of Pennsylvania are getting ready launch their LGBTQ-focused health care app, SpectrumScores, by the end of August.The app will connect lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer patients with doctors who have been recognized as LGBTQ-friendly by advocacy organizations, academic medical centers and, eventually, the app users themselves.Read the full article on the NBC News website here.

Editorial: Standardized Patients: It’s All in the Works
By: Nancy McNaughton & Mindi Anderson
Submitted by: Betty Grandis

A special edition of Clinical Simulation in Nursing dealing almost exclusively with standardized patients was published in July of this year, with an editorial and introduction by Nancy McNaughton, MEd, PhD, and Mindi Anderson, PhD, ARNP, CPNP-PC, CNE, CHSE-A, ANEF. Read the editorial and introduction here, or link to open access articles from the journal here (links may be slow).