Assessing Adolescent Sexual Health Counseling Among Residents With a Novel Simulated Patient Workshop [23S

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: This study evaluates changes in resident knowledge, counseling confidence, and self-efficacy through a novel adolescent-led sexual and reproductive health simulated patient workshop. METHODS: This is a prospective pilot study of obstetrics and gynecology (OBGYN), family medicine, and pediatric residents completing a simulated patient encounter with adolescents trained in peer sexuality education from the Planned Parenthood of Utah Association Teen Council. The workshop included an informational presentation from adolescents who then completed 15-minute, one-on-one simulated patient encounters with a resident. We guided adolescents in creating their own unique simulated patients portraying a range of sexual health chief complaints. Residents completed pre- and post-workshop surveys on adolescent sexual and reproductive health knowledge, counseling confidence, and self-efficacy. We completed descriptive analyses of participant demographics and change in knowledge (7 questions), confidence, and self-efficacy. We used Likert scales (5-point) for measuring confidence (6 questions) and self-efficacy (3 questions). RESULTS: A total of 16 residents participated in the workshop (n=12 OBGYN). Prior to the workshop, four residents had one or more hours of adolescent sexual health didactic time and one had a simulated patient encounter as part of their residency training. After the workshop, resident adolescent sexual health knowledge improved (mean increase 3.5/7 SD±0.94). Residents also demonstrated increased total counseling confidence (mean pre-workshop 19/30 to post-workshop 24/30) and increased total counseling self-efficacy (mean pre-workshop 9/15 to post-workshop 12/15). CONCLUSION: The adolescent-led sexual and reproductive health workshop is a novel approach to increasing knowledge, counseling confidence, and self-efficacy in adolescent sexual health among resident physicians.