Application and evaluation of teachers as standardized patient in diagnostics teaching practice

Abstract

Objective To discuss the effect of the application of teachers as standardized patients (TSP) in the teaching of diagnostics practice. Methods It randomly selected 192 five-year undergraduate students of clinic department in 2011 grade, and divided them into experimental group and control group, each having 96 students.The control group used traditional teaching method (lecture-based learning, LBL), while the experimental group used TSP teaching mode. Both groups were evaluated by cases collection, cases analysis as well as professional quality, the physical examination, cases descriptions. Then the teaching effect was evaluated through practical skills assessment and performance in many aspects. In addition, the scores were made to be compared and analyzed with Mann-Whitney u mothed. Results The TSP group got 69.66±4.15, 17.78±1.39, 27.10±1.68, 47.83± 4.92 respectively on the four aspects. It was superior to the LBL group(53.99±8.39, 11.82±1.31, 20.09±3.54, 39.95± 7.38) (P<0.01). In the cases description, the scores were 3.09±1.95, and there was no obvious difference with the LBL (2.63±1.53) (P=0.089). Conclusion The application of TSP in diagnostics teaching practice can improve the teaching quality and competence,as well as train students' ability to analyze problems. And meanwhile, the TSP can develop the students' practice competence and perfect the professional quality. Key words: Teacher as standardized patient; Diagnostics; Clinical medicine; Undergraduate education; Clinical practice competence; Professional quality