Standardized Patient Case: Evaluation of Hearing Loss

Abstract

Abstract This resource is a standardized patient case featuring Bill Thompson, an older man who has been experiencing the gradual onset of hearing loss. The case was originally designed to provide a formative tool to assess third-year medical students' skills in gathering information and writing a progress note in a timed environment. Medical students must be proficient in the domains of communication, data gathering, and documentation to succeed within the time constraints of the United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) Step 2 Clinical Skills (CS) exam. This case was implemented to help prepare our third-year medical students for a high-stakes standardized patient examination that occurs at the end of their primary care clerkships block. That examination has been modeled after the USMLE Step 2 CS exam, which is a graduation requirement at our medical school. In anonymous evaluations, students reported that the simulated test activity was helpful preparation for their examination. However, they indicated a desire for a greater amount of participation, as the original activity was largely observational. The case has since been modified to allow greater student participation on a graduated level by experience.

Keywords

• Physical Examination
• Interviewing
• Hearing Loss
• Special Senses
• SOAP Note