The use of actors as standardised patients in teaching the neurology examination to undergraduate medical students

Authors: Malik Z1,  Valnarov-Boulter I1, Davis D1,  Khusakul P1, Rahman T1, Vijayanathan J1, Jain D1, Ogundiya O1, Noronha A1, Fleming F1, Aldridge C1, Young TM2

Image showing a representative neurology kit used for the examinations described in this presentation.
Image showing a representative neurology kit used for the examinations described in this presentation.

Introduction

“Standardised patients” are actors aiding medical training or evaluation. Despite over fifty years of use, existing literature has focussed on standardised patients depicting diseases, rather than on their potential to teach examination findings in healthy subjects, crucial for medical learners to understand.

Aims

To evaluate the effectiveness of standardised patients rather than actual patients for teaching examination skills in healthy subjects. We focused on the neurological examination, recognised as one of the most challenging for medical students and doctors to master.

Methods

An experienced standardised patient was used to teach the neurology examination to all undergraduate medical students on our Clinical Neurology & Brain Sciences iBSc degree. Student competency was then assessed, with feedback obtained with questionnaires.

Results

After teaching, all students demonstrated excellent clinical skills. Questionnaires confirmed that the use of standardised patients lessened perceived examination difficulty.

Conclusions

This collaboration with undergraduate students provides evidence supporting the use of standardised patients to teach clinical neurological skills in healthy subjects.

 

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The use of actors as standardised patients in teaching the neurology examination to undergraduate medical students


Footnotes

1 Medical student on iBSc Clinical Neurology & Brain Sciences degree at Queen Square Institute of Neurology, UCL

2 Course director of Clinical Neurology & Brain Sciences iBSc at Queen Square Institute of Neurology, UCL

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