Fifth year medical students (N = 103) were assigned to three groups receiving a training in counseling parents of sick children with RP (N = 34) or SP (N = 35) or to a control group (CG, N = 34). We assessed self-efficacy, as well as objective performance in parent-physician communication using questionnaires and the Calgary-Cambridge-Observation-Guide Checklist in a six-station OSCE, respectively.
The training led to an increase in self-efficacy ratings and in the post-intervention OSCE score after RP (p < .021 and p < .001 respectively) and SP-training (p < .007 and p < .006 respectively) compared to controls. Surprisingly, this benefit was higher after RP than after SP-training (p < .021) due to significantly higher performance in the domain understanding of parents鈥?perspective (p < .001).
Both RP and SP are valuable tools for training specific communication skills. RP offer a methodological advantage in fostering empathy for patient perspectives.
Both peer-role-play and standardized patients hold specific benefits for communication training. Peer-role-play seems to foster a more empathic approach towards patients鈥?concerns justifying its prominent role in medical curricula.