Teaching smoking-cessation counseling to medical students using simulated patients.
OBJECTIVE
Our objective was to evaluate the effectiveness of using simulated patient instructors and the Ockene method to instruct third-year medical students in smoking-cessation counseling techniques.


METHODS
We used a clinical exercise with self-study preparation and simulated patient instructors.


METHODS
One hundred fifty-nine students participated in a smoking-cessation counseling session in which cognitive and behavioral endpoints were assessed by simulated patient instructors and the students themselves.


RESULTS
Student performance in the cognitive and behavioral components of model smoking-cessation counseling was acceptable. Specific areas of weakness, such as the tendency of students to underemphasize the personal and social benefits of smoking cessation, and to overestimate their competence on a number of skill items, were identified. Student evaluation of the exercise was positive.


CONCLUSIONS
Smoking-cessation counseling can be taught effectively to third-year medical students by simulated patient instructors during a clinical clerkship.
Eyler
A E
AE
Department of Family Practice, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor 48109-0356, USA.
Dicken
L L
LL
Fitzgerald
J T
JT
Oh
M S
MS
Wolf
F M
FM
Zweifler
A J
AJ
D002982:Clinical Clerkship; D003376:Counseling / Q000193:education*; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D016544:Patient Simulation; D016540:Smoking Cessation; D013337:Students, Medical / Q000523:psychology; D013663:Teaching / Q000379:methods