Abstract
Research Question and Context
Providing student feedback is important in student learning. When practicing clinical skills with peers, students gain feedback from each other but there is concern over the reliability of feedback. This current study compared constructive feedback provided by peers and standardized patients (individuals trained to portray patients during the instruction or assessment of clinical skills of health students) regarding patient care and communication skills during a radiography positioning skills course. Is there a difference in patient care or communication feedback provided by peers and standardized patients?
Grounding:
Peer models are commonly used to learn skills needed to take care of patients (Chang & Power, 2000; Hendry, 2013). As peer models are learning the same academic content, they are knowledgeable in the aspects of the skills needed to perform the task being evaluated and have been seen as a good form of formative feedback (Dijks et al, 2018), but honesty and critical evaluation have been demonstrated in literature to be an issue (Burgess et al., 2020; Burgess et al., 2013; Dijks et al., 2018). Standardized patients have been shown to add authenticity to the patient care skills learning process as well as provide honest and critical feedback and improve student learning (Park et al., 2011).
Approach/Methods:
This IRB-approved quantitative study utilized a Likert scale feedback tool for data collection of radiography students’ performance regarding patient care and communication during a simulated radiographic examination. Students were provided the feedback tool completed by either a standardized patient or peer after their simulated examination to enhance their understanding of their communication and patient care skills. A Mann-Whitney U test was run to determine if there was a difference in communication and patient care total scores by simulated patient type (standardized patient or peer patient). A word count analysis was conducted, which included coding of the type of feedback provided.
Discussion/Lessons Learned:
Investigation of feedback provided to radiography students by their peers or a standardized patient showed that students received similar patient care skills feedback between the two groups. However, standardized patients provided higher communication skills feedback than peers. Word count analysis and coding of feedback demonstrated that standardized patients provided more specific feedback regarding patient care and communication than peers. When peers did provide feedback, it was non-specific to patient care or communication, which does not provide the student with opportunities for growth in those areas. Results suggest that standardized patients may provide more meaningful and specific feedback to enhance student learning. When utilizing task-related skills practice as instructional strategies, educators should consider using a standardized patient in the process to provide feedback to enhance learning.
References:
Burgess, A., Roberts, C., Black, K. I., & Mellis, C. (2013). Senior medical student perceived ability and experience in giving peer feedback in formative long case examinations. BMC Medical Education, 13(79), 1-5. https://www.biomedcentral.com/1472-6920/13/79
Burgess, A., Van Diggele, C., Roberts, C., & Mellis, C. (2020). Feedback in the clinical setting. BMC Medical Education, 20(460), 1-5. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-020-02280-5
Chang, E. H., & Power, D. V. (2000). Are medical students comfortable with practicing physical examinations on each other? Academic Medicine, 75(4), 384-389. https://doi.org/10.1097/00001888-200004000-00020
Dijks, M. A., Brummer, L., & Kostons, D. (2018). The anonymous reviewer: The relationship between perceived expertise and the perceptions of peer feedback in higher education. Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education, 43(8), 1258-1271. https://doi.org/10.1080/02602938.2018.1447645
Hendry, G. J. (2013). Barriers to undergraduate peer-physical examination of the lower limb in the health sciences and strategies to improve inclusion: A review. Advances in Health Science Education, 18(4), 807-815. http://doi.org/10.1007/s10459-012-9418-4
Park, J. H., Young Son, J. I., Kim, S., & May, W. (2011). Effect of feedback from standardized patients on medical students’ performance and perceptions of the neurological examination. Medical Teacher, 33 (12), 1005-1010. https://doi.org/10.3109/0142159X.2011.588735