Roles and Feedback

A Standardized Patient (SP) portrays a patient in a simulated health care setting, while a  Simulator (S) portrays a client, customer,  interviewer, or other non-patient role in a office or other appropriate setting. "SP/S" refers to either an SP or an S. While the description below is more representative of the SP, the role of the S is analogous.

The SP/S is required to function in three roles.

The first role of a SP/S is to realistically simulate the behavior of a patient or situation. SP/S s are trained in the details of the history, personality and abnormal physical findings of an actual case.

The second role of a SP/S is to accurately document learner performance using predefined checklists.

A third role of the SP/S's is providing learners with feedback on techniques of interviewing, physical examination techniques, and communication skills.

Feedback is one of the most important skills of the SP/S's:

• A major advantage of using simulation rather than a real situation is the opportunity for learners to receive immediate feedback from a trained person on how their approaches and skills may affect a patient/person.
• Feedback is given at the end of a session and may be verbal, written or both.
• Feedback will help the learner(s) become aware of their behaviors and reinforce or modify these behaviors.

To apply:

1.  Complete an online application .

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