Enhancing preclinical speech-language pathology students' self-perceived clinical competence using simulated patients.
Estella Pui-Man Ma, Taiying Lee, Wing-Hong Li
PMID 41637263WHAT IT FOUND
Preclinical speech-language pathology students rated themselves as more clinically skilled and confident, and less anxious about future real-patient work, after simulated caregiver sessions.
The gains were self-reported and had no control group.
Key findings
01After each simulation session, students reported significant increases in perceived clinical skills and confidence, and significant decreases in anxiety about working with real patients in the future.
02Students considered the simulated sessions useful in reinforcing skills learned in class (mean score 3.13, range 1 to 4, possible maximum 4) and useful in bridging lecture theory to clinical practice (mean score 3.03, range 2 to 4, possible maximum 4).
03All 39 students considered the simulation learning activity valuable and requested simulated sessions as part of regular practice in the program curriculum.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
The study had no control group for comparison. Outcomes relied on self-perceived data rather than objective indicators of clinical competence. The researcher was involved in teaching the participants, so potential observer bias cannot be ignored. Participants were 39 second-year undergraduate speech-language pathology students at the University of Hong Kong, with no prior clinical or simulation experience. The simulations were part of a course with lectures and interactive practical activities, and students also had clinical educator feedback, so the paper does not isolate the effect of simulated patients. The paper did not track students longitudinally as they moved into clinical placements with real patients.
Declared interests
Financial support was provided in part by Teaching Development Grants funded by the University of Hong Kong (project numbers 789 and 888).
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that simulated patients make students objectively more competent. The study measured only self-perceived clinical skills, confidence and anxiety, had no control group, and the researcher who taught the students was also involved in the study.
Summarised by AI from the full paper, without a clinician reviewing it. Check it against the source before it changes what you do. Read it on PubMed →