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. 2015 Oct 7;14:8. doi: 10.1186/s12930-015-0025-4

Table 2.

Summary of the written qualitative feedback of family medicine residents and standardized patient instructors collected immediately after training sessions

Stage Resident comments n = 8 SPI comments n = 2
Overall Wonderful experience
Felt like I advanced more than any other teaching
Reviewing anatomy, having didactic, then performing
Learning directly from the patient, instead of books, videos, and observing senior physicians
Teaching systematic, better than during clinical care
Went extremely well
Enjoyed teaching, learned from experience with non-English speakers
Met expectations for being polite, gracious
Pleasantly surprised by curiosity, desire to clarify and ask questions
Discovered resident learning experiences in Japan mostly had been passive, observational
Some learners initially tentative
Agreed to being photographed after the teaching session
Pre-SPI encounter Observing examinations in the clinic prior to SPI experience made it more effective
Helpful to review online written materials & videos on anatomy, and how to perform examinations
NA: SPI were not asked to provide
Pre-SPI lecture/coaching Learning how to examine using manikin models
Learning the procedures for interacting with an SPI
NA: Provided by faculty member
SPI session SPI comfortable with teaching
SPI demonstrating how to do exam, then doing it
SPI knew own physical findings, and showed them
Understanding the patient’s perspective (e.g., anxiety, discomfort, modesty)
Individualized teaching in detail, in person
Learner repeating over and over until got it right (e.g., finding cervix with speculum)
Pacing the teaching to the learner’s ability
Appreciation of teaching from the patient’s perspective about modesty, protecting it
Learning different patterns of examination
Feeling a real lump
Focused on “reading, watching, doing”
Defined scope of session: e.g., procedures, role of SPI
Encouraged questions
“Cheat sheet”—SPI prepared, helped learner
Inquiring about learners’ previous examination experiences
Taught examination techniques, communication skills, sequence of the examination, putting the patient at ease, when to use chaperone, accommodating family members, positioning (e.g., common patient preferences, and accommodating co-morbidities)
Teaching how to protect patient modesty, how to incorporate genitourinary exam routinely or focused into overall examination
SPIs excited when learner palpated actual findings
Enthusiasm of learners made session longer than SPI expected
Using interpreter Having an interpreter present helpful to understand (pre-session)
Very helpful for understanding and clarification (during SPI session)
Using an interpreter was novel
Reading in advance about how to use interpreter
Took nearly twice as long using interpreter
Interpreter used first person
Tried speaking initially in phrases, but interpreter preferred full sentences
Positioned interpreter facing away, toward wall during examination, or caudad to exposed genitalia (male SPI on female interpreter)
After getting used to interpreter, became easier, flowed better
When learner practiced combining examination skills and communication to patient, opted to NOT use interpreter to facilitate the learner naturally integrating examination and communication skills (rather than disrupting flow by using interpreter)
Improvements United States speculum different from Japan; not used to it
Feel he/she needs to train many times after the session by oneself
Video recording of the teaching session for reference for self-study would be helpful
Want to confirm if performing examinations could be done by oneself
Need manikin models with abnormal findings

SPI standardized patient instructor