The Role of Simulated Patient in Physiotherapy Education: A Review Article

Abstract

Introduction: Using Simulated Patients (SPs) in clinical skills education is a common method of training students to improve their skills for future client encounters. This systematic review aims to provide an overview of the SP strategy in Physical Therapy (PT) education.
 Materials and Methods: PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science databases were searched from January 1980 up to November 2019. Different keywords related to the topic were selected using MeSH. Any types of quantitative study design which had used simulation-based learning in physical therapy were eligible for inclusion. Two reviewers read studies and appraised them critically.
 Results: A total of 1049 abstracts were retrieved and after reviewing the full-text paper, 11 full- text articles met the inclusion criteria. These studies had used simulated patients for various objectives, including replicate different aspects of knowledge, self-perceived skills, real clinical practice, attitudes, and feasibility. Based on the result of studies, SP as an educational technique can improve student’s clinical reasoning skills, communication, and motivation in a safe environment.
 Conclusion: SP is a useful learning strategy to deliver learning activities in medical education and physical therapy curricula, facilitating feedback on students’ performance with opportunities to interact with real patients and environments.