Cost-effectiveness of peer role play and standardized patients in undergraduate communication training.

Bosse, Hans Martin; Nickel, Martin; Huwendiek, Sören; Schultz, Jobst Hendrik; Nikendei, Christoph (2015). Cost-effectiveness of peer role play and standardized patients in undergraduate communication training. BMC medical education, 15(183), p. 183. BioMed Central 10.1186/s12909-015-0468-1

[img]
Preview
Text
art%3A10.1186%2Fs12909-015-0468-1.pdf - Published Version
Available under License Creative Commons: Attribution (CC-BY).

Download (518kB) | Preview

BACKGROUND

The few studies directly comparing the methodological approach of peer role play (RP) and standardized patients (SP) for the delivery of communication skills all suggest that both methods are effective. In this study we calculated the costs of both methods (given comparable outcomes) and are the first to generate a differential cost-effectiveness analysis of both methods.

METHODS

Medical students in their prefinal year were randomly assigned to one of two groups receiving communication training in Pediatrics either with RP (N = 34) or 19 individually trained SP (N = 35). In an OSCE with standardized patients using the Calgary-Cambridge Referenced Observation Guide both groups achieved comparable high scores (results published). In this study, corresponding costs were assessed as man-hours resulting from hours of work of SP and tutors. A cost-effectiveness analysis was performed.

RESULTS

Cost-effectiveness analysis revealed a major advantage for RP as compared to SP (112 vs. 172 man hours; cost effectiveness ratio .74 vs. .45) at comparable performance levels after training with both methods.

CONCLUSIONS

While both peer role play and training with standardized patients have their value in medical curricula, RP has a major advantage in terms of cost-effectiveness. This could be taken into account in future decisions.

Item Type:

Journal Article (Original Article)

Division/Institute:

04 Faculty of Medicine > Medical Education > Institute for Medical Education
04 Faculty of Medicine > Medical Education > Institute for Medical Education > Assessment and Evaluation Unit (AAE)

UniBE Contributor:

Huwendiek, Sören

ISSN:

1472-6920

Publisher:

BioMed Central

Language:

English

Submitter:

Eveline Götschmann-Meile

Date Deposited:

04 Feb 2016 08:49

Last Modified:

05 Dec 2022 14:52

Publisher DOI:

10.1186/s12909-015-0468-1

PubMed ID:

26498479

BORIS DOI:

10.7892/boris.76354

URI:

https://boris.unibe.ch/id/eprint/76354

Actions (login required)

Edit item Edit item
Provide Feedback