title: Integration of role-playing into technical skills training: a randomized controlled trial.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Recently, efforts have been undertaken to enhance the face validity of technical skills training by introducing role-plays and standardised patients. Since little is known about the effects of role-playing with respect to the realism of a training situation and students' objective performance, we performed a randomized controlled trial.
  
  
  METHODS
  36 medical students participated in videotaped small group skills-lab sessions on the topics of Doppler sonography and gastric tube insertion. One half of the students participated in role-plays and the other half practised without role-playing. Realism of the training situation was analysed by means of post-intervention self-selected student survey evaluations. Technical performance and patient-physician communication were assessed by independent ratings of the videotaped sessions.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The physician's role was regarded to be significantly more realistic when performing role-plays. Assessment of videotaped sessions showed that practising technical skills by performing role-plays resulted in significantly better patient-physician communication whereas students' technical performance did not differ between groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Introducing role-plays enhances the realism of technical skills training and leads to better patient-physician communication. Students do not seem to be overstrained by practising clinical technical skills using role-plays. We conclude that role-playing is a valuable method in practising technical skills.
authors.affiliation: Department of General Internal and Psychosomatic Medicine, University of Heidelberg Medical Hospital, Germany. christoph_nikendei@med.uni-heidelberg.de
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Nikendei
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Kraus
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Schrauth
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Weyrich
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zipfel
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Herzog
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Jünger
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D020811:Biomedical Technology / Q000193:education*; D002983:Clinical Competence; D003142:Communication; D004504:Education, Medical, Undergraduate / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany; D006801:Humans; D007388:Internal Medicine / Q000193:education*; D007441:Intubation, Gastrointestinal / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D016544:Patient Simulation; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D015397:Program Evaluation; D012381:Role Playing; D013337:Students, Medical / Q000523:psychology*; D013663:Teaching / Q000379:methods; D018608:Ultrasonography, Doppler / Q000379:methods; D014743:Videotape Recording