Survey of Japanese Medical Schools on Involvement of English-speaking Simulated Patients to Improve Students' Patient Communication Skills

Teach Learn Med. 2021 May 30:1-8. doi: 10.1080/10401334.2021.1915789. Online ahead of print.ABSTRACTPHENOMENON: With increasing mobility of people across borders and medical tourism, more countries are called to make their healthcare environment ready to accept foreign patients. Patient communication skills in English are indispensable for healthcare professionals in non-English-speaking countries. This is not only in caring for foreign patients within the country but also contributing to the global health by practicing outside of the country. Although Japanese-speaking simulated patients have been involved in medical education in Japan since the 1970s and with Objective Structured Clinical Examinations formally implemented in 2005, very few medical schools have been working with English-speaking simulated patients (ESSPs).APPROACH: A nationwide survey was conducted to investigate the involvement of ESSPs at medical schools in Japan. A questionnaire with closed and open-ended questions was mailed to the deans of 80 medical schools to determine the current ESSP involvement and the problems educators were facing in regard to working with or not working with ESSPs. The survey was conducted from November 2015 through March 2016. Data were analyzed to find problems regarding ESSPs so that their involvement could be enhanced toward developing medical students' patient communication skills.FINDINGS: Responses from 60 medical schools (75% response rate) were received and analyzed. Am...
Source: Teaching and Learning in Medicine - Category: Universities & Medical Training Authors: Source Type: research