Developing physiotherapy student safety skills in readiness for clinical placement using standardised patients compared with peer-role play: a pilot non-randomised controlled trial

Anna C Phillips, Shylie F Mackintosh, Alison Bell, Kylie N Johnston, Anna C Phillips, Shylie F Mackintosh, Alison Bell, Kylie N Johnston

Abstract

Background: Using simulated learning environments with standardised patients (SPs) provides a way to scaffold the development of skills for patient safety in a low risk environment. There are no data regarding whether adding SP interactions in early years of physiotherapy training improves safe performance on clinical placement. We assessed the feasibility of recruiting and collecting data from junior physiotherapy students during an SP workshop with a pilot non-randomised trial, also assessing time, cost and scheduling information.

Methods: Second year physiotherapy students were invited to participate and allocated to either the SP workshop in a simulated hospital environment (with and without video feedback) or usual teaching comprising peer role play. The main outcome measures were participant recruitment, retention and survey response rates, whether the training and workshops were delivered as scheduled and costs for SPs and staff training and workshop attendance. Students self-reported confidence, communication, preparedness for clinic and satisfaction was measured using pre-post surveys.

Results: The pilot trial proved feasible, with 108 students recruited (100%) and high retention (95%) and survey response rates (85%). The training sessions and SP workshops were delivered as scheduled, costing $4700AUD. Students rated their confidence and preparedness for clinical placement higher post intervention (p < 0.001) with high levels of satisfaction with the SP interactions (mean score 9.3/10).

Conclusions: In this setting the SP workshop was feasible. Further research incorporating a randomised trial investigating the integration of SPs for the development and assessment of patient safety skills in physiotherapy education is recommended.

Trial registration: ANZCTR no: 12,615,000,686,505.

Keywords: Physiotherapy; Pilot trial; Safety; Simulation; Standardised patients.

Conflict of interest statement

Authors’ information

AP, PhD, is a Lecturer in Physiotherapy at the School of Health Sciences, University of South Australia. KJ, PhD, is a Senior Lecturer in Physiotherapy at the School of Health Sciences, University of South Australia. AB, is a Lecturer in Physiotherapy at the School of Health Sciences, University of South Australia. SM, PhD, is the Associate Head of School and a Senior Lecturer at the School of Health Sciences, University of South Australia.

Ethics approval and consent to participate

This project was approved by the University of South Australia’s Human Research Ethics Committee protocol no: 0000033913. All participants provided written, informed consent prior to participation.

Consent for publication

Consent for publication of all images in the supplementary materials has been obtained.

Competing interests

The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

Publisher’s Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Shows the participation flow through study interventions and completion of outcome measures. Legend DNA = did not attend; SPS = standardised patient scenario

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Source: PubMed

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