Adolescent Medicine and the Trainee: Evaluating Self-Efficacy, Knowledge and Communication Through the Utilization of Standardized Patient Simulations

Abstract

Abstract This is a resource and instructors guide to integrating simulation and standardized patients in the adolescent rotation. This resource allows for examining of interviewing and communication skills as well as assessment of knowledge levels regarding adolescent medicine topics. It includes the learners' expectations, the standardized patient training guide and 3 detailed cases developed from actual clinical cases. Each case includes who developed it, the learning objectives, standardized patient demographics, standardized patient interaction guide and scoring checklists. Also included are two evaluation instruments; the patient-physician interaction tool and the self efficacy tool which can be used to measure self efficacy before and after implementation of the curriculum. This resource has resulted in five abstracts accepted at national/international meetings so far. Pediatrics residents participating in the adolescent rotation were asked to rate their self efficacy in various adolescent issues before they started their rotation (pretest). This curriculum was then implemented during the first week of the rotation and their self efficacy was again measured after the interaction with standardized patients. The resident's self efficacy was measured again at the end of the rotations. Other issues that were measured were whether the residents addressed issues related to confidentiality, sexually transmitted infections, eating habits, contraception parental notification with adolescents and other issues related to adolescent health. The findings indicated that the resident self-efficacy decreased after participating in the curriculum involving standardized patients when compared to their initial self efficacy scores at the beginning of the rotation. Their self efficacy increased significantly at the end of the rotation (p<.05) when compared to their self efficacy scores at the beginning of the rotation and after participating in this curriculum. The findings also helped us identify gaps in resident knowledge with regards to adolescent sexual health, confidentiality and parental involvement. The feedback that residents received from standardized patient (adolescent) and parents was a valuable source of education on how to deal with such situations, should they occur.

Keywords

• Self-Efficacy