Development and evaluation of pilot simulated patient centre: Learning from the experience

Objectives: To compare the performance of paid actor-simulated patients: 1) before and after a simulated patient training programme aiming for programme enhancement; 2) to postgraduate/staff-simulated patients. Methods: Fifty-six student participants watched a series of video recordings of student pharmacist-paid actor-simulated patients role-playing and blindly assessed the performance of paid actor-simulated patients pre- and post-training using the Maastricht Assessment of Simulated Patients (MaSP). Seventy-three student participants compared the paid actor-simulated patients’ performance to postgraduate/staff-simulated patients. Data collected were analysed using paired t-tests and independent t-tests, respectively. Results: There was a statistically significant improvement in the collated MaSP scores for paid actor-simulated patients’ performance post-training in the authenticity of role-playing (mean score ± standard deviation (SD): 2.61 ± 0.30 (Pre-training); 2.70 ± 0.31 (Post-training), p < 0.05) but not the quality of feedback. Similarly, paid actor-simulated patients performed better (in the authenticity of role-playing but not the quality of feedback) when compared to postgraduate/staff-simulated patients. Conclusions: Paid actor-simulated patients require improvement in providing quality feedback to students to enhance students’ learning.

Wearable Device for Residential Elbow Joint Rehabilitation with Voice Prompts and Tracking Feedback APP

In this paper, we propose a wearable device for residential elbow joint rehabilitation with voice prompts and a tracking feedback app (WDRTFAPP). We have developed the app as well as the Arduino embedded system, which we have integrated together. In this research, the patients were simulated by our team not real patients. By using this wearable device, the elbow joint rehabilitation could be executed at home for the simulated patients with mild and moderately mild elbow joint symptoms. During the rehabilitation, data captured by the wearable device were sent to the tracking feedback APP, using automatic real time via Bluetooth transmission. After TFAPP received the rehabilitation data from the wearable device, the rehabilitation data was sent to the cloud database by Wi-Fi or 5G communication automatically in real time. When the performance of the elbow joint rehabilitation was incorrect the patients received a voice prompt by TFAPP. The simulated patients could query their rehabilitation data using different search strategies, namely by date or TFAPP, at any time or location. In the experimental results, it showed that the correct detecting rate of elbow joint rehabilitation could be up to 90% by WDRTFAPP. The medical staff also could track the rehabilitation status of each simulated patient by the tracking feedback APP (TFAPP) with remote accessing, such as the Internet. Moreover, the rehabilitation appointments could be set up by the clinical staff with TFAPP, using the Internet. Furthermore, the medical staff could track the rehabilitation status of each simulated patient and give feedback at any time and location. The costs of the rehabilitation could be reduced (in terms of time and money spent by the simulated patients) and the manpower required by the hospital.

A systematic review of the use of simulated client method in examining medicine price

Purpose: This study was aimed to systematically identify and review studies conducted using simulated client/patients that examine medicine selling prices in healthcare settings, including pharmacies, clinics, and hospitals. The quoted drug pricing information, including the dispensing fees and healthcare financing system of the countries involved, were also compared.Design/methodology/approach: We searched Pubmed, OVID, Scopus, Ebsco (Medline) and ProQuest for papers reporting on simulated patient studies in various medical settings, specifying drug or pharmaceutical pricings. Randomized controlled trials, non-randomized controlled trials, longitudinal studies, cohort or case–control studies, and descriptive studies were included. The quality of included studies was checked using a validated tool.Findings: A total of 19 papers from 13 countries from all regions of the world were included in this systematic review. Various ,edical conditions that were presented by the simulated patients, such as cancer, back pain, insomnia and diarrhoea. Information on certain prescription and non-prescription drugs such as buprenorphine, methadone and antibiotics were reported in four studies. Most healthcare facilities adhere to prescribed selling prices, according to the medicine selling price trend examined in this study. Only around half of the research found that medicine prices were higher than the typical selling price. Some countries that practise price control policies were found to have higher drug selling prices than those that do not.Originality/value: This review, for the first time, revealed that simulated patient method is a practical solution to obtain pharmaceutical price information from healthcare provider and most healthcare facilities adhere to the recommended selling prices.

How Do Simulated Interviews Increase the Self-efficacy of Medical Students? - Quasi-experimental Research-

Background Self-efficacy is crucial in improving medical student communication skills. This study aims to clarify whether the self-efficacy of medical students conducting medical interviews increased after simulated interviews or after feedback discussions. Methods A total of 162 medical students (109 men, 53 women) in their fourth or fifth year at a university in Japan participated in this study. The degree of self-efficacy in medical interviewing was measured before and after a medical interview with a simulated patient, and after the subsequent feedback session. Results ANOVA analysis revealed that self-efficacy for medical interviews was higher after both the interview and the feedback session than before the interview. Self-efficacy was highest after the feedback session among all three time points. Conclusions Feedback following a simulated interview with a simulated patient is important to improve the self-efficacy of medical students learning medical interviewing skills.