Standardized patient encounters. A method for teaching and evaluation
M. A. Ainsworth, L. P. Rogers, J. F. Markus, N. K. Dorsey, T. A. Blackwell and E. R. Petrusa
Department of Internal Medicine, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston 77550.
The primary goal of medical education is to foster development of clinical
competence in trainees at all levels. Variable clinical experience,
inconsistent methods of instruction, and ambiguous evaluation criteria
undermine this goal. Standardized patients, trained to consistently portray
a wide variety of clinical cases, can help overcome many of these
educational problems. This article describes the development and
application of standardized patients throughout medical training at The
University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, in the freshman interviewing
course, the second-year physical diagnosis course, third-year clerkships, a
fourth-year final exercise, and residency training. Development of this
program is discussed in the context of a broader literature in medical
education, and investigation of variables affecting standardized patient
and student performance is reported. Future directions for use of
standardized patients in monitoring and promoting the development of
clinical competence are discussed.
