Role-play for medical students learning about communication: guidelines for maximising benefits.
BACKGROUND
Role-play is widely used as an educational method for learning about communication in medical education. Although educational theory provides a sound rationale for using this form of simulation, there is little published evidence for its effectiveness. Students' prior experiences of role-play may influence the way in which they engage in this method. This paper explores students' experiences with the aim of producing guidelines for maximising the benefits of role-play within this learning context.


METHODS
First-year undergraduate medical students participated in a role-play session as part of their communication programme. Before and after the session, students completed questionnaires. In the pre-session questionnaire, students were asked about their experiences of role-play and asked to identify helpful and unhelpful elements. Immediately after the session, students answered similar questions in relation to the role-play activity they had just completed. Descriptive statistics were used to analyse quantitative data and qualitative data was thematically analysed.


RESULTS
284 students completed evaluation forms. Although 63 (22.2%) had prior unhelpful experiences, most students (n = 274; 96.5%) found this experience helpful. Summary findings were that students reported the key aspects of helpful role-play were opportunities for observation, rehearsal and discussion, realistic roles and alignment of roles with other aspects of the curriculum. Unhelpful aspects were those that evoked strong negative emotional responses and factors that contributed to a lack of realism.


CONCLUSIONS
Role-play was valued by students in the acquisition of communication skills even though some had prior unhelpful experiences. Guidelines for effective role-play include adequate preparation, alignment of roles and tasks with level of practice, structured feedback guidelines and acknowledgment of the importance of social interactions for learning.
Nestel
Debra
D
Department of Biosurgery & Surgical Technology, St Mary's Hospital, Queen Elizabeth Queen Mother Building, Imperial College London, South Wharf Road Street, London, UK. d.nestel@imperial.ac.uk
Tierney
Tanya
T
D003142:Communication; D004504:Education, Medical, Undergraduate / Q000379:methods*; D017408:Guidelines as Topic; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008131:London; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D015397:Program Evaluation; D012381:Role Playing; D013337:Students, Medical; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires