Simulated patient contributions to enhancing exercise physiology student clinical assessment skills
File version
Version of Record (VoR)
Author(s)
Waite, Monique C
Tuttle, Neil
Bialocerkowski, Andrea
Griffith University Author(s)
Primary Supervisor
Other Supervisors
Editor(s)
Date
Size
File type(s)
Location
Abstract
Background: The aim of this study was to evaluate exercise physiology students’ perceptions of two simulation-based learning modules focused on communication and interpersonal skills during history taking. Methods: A prospective, repeated-measures cohort study was conducted with 15 participants. The study evaluated two simulation-based learning modules in a 1-year Graduate Diploma of Exercise Science program. Surveys were administered at four time points: prior to each module and following each module. Students rated their confidence in communication and history taking, and perception of preparedness for practice, motivation for learning, and benefits of undertaking simulation-based learning. Quantitative data were analyzed descriptively and by using repeated measures tests. Qualitative data underwent thematic analyses. Results: Students reported a significant improvement in their confidence in communication (P = 0.043) and in two parameters related to history taking (P = 0.034 and 0.035) following the completion of the two modules. There was 96% agreement that the simulation-based learning better prepared students for practice as an exercise physiologist. Significant changes occurred in all aspects of motivation for learning (P ranging from < 0.001 to 0.036) except for usefulness, where there was a ceiling effect (medians of 7 on a 7-point scale). Qualitative analysis demonstrated benefit to participants around themes of experiential learning, realism, opportunity to develop clinical skills, and debriefing. Students also made suggestions with respect to the activity structure of the simulation-based learning modules. Conclusions: The results of this study indicated that simulation-based learning employing SPs increased the confidence and preparedness of exercise physiology students for conducting history taking, a requisite exercise physiology skill. Future studies should include behavioral measures of skill attainment and include follow-up evaluation to appraise the application of these skills into clinical practice.
Journal Title
Advances in Simulation
Conference Title
Book Title
Edition
Volume
4
Issue
Suppl 1
Thesis Type
Degree Program
School
Publisher link
Patent number
Funder(s)
Grant identifier(s)
Rights Statement
Rights Statement
© The Author(s) 2019. This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license, and indicate if changes were made.
Item Access Status
Note
Access the data
Related item(s)
Subject
Sports science and exercise
Health services and systems
Exercise physiology
Simulated patient
Simulated-based learning
Exercise physiology
Simulated patient
Persistent link to this record
Citation
Reeves, NE; Waite, MC; Tuttle, N; Bialocerkowski, A, Simulated patient contributions to enhancing exercise physiology student clinical assessment skills., Advances in Simulation, 2019, 4 (Suppl 1), pp. 15-15