title: Impact of an in-person versus web-based practice standardized patient examination on student performance on a subsequent high-stakes standardized patient examination.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Optimal methods of preparing students for high-stakes standardized patient (SP) examinations are unknown.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The purpose is to compare the impact of two formats of a formative SP examination (Web-based vs. in-person) on scores on a subsequent high-stakes SP examination and to compare students' satisfaction with each formative examination format.
  
  
  METHODS
  Clustered randomized trial comparing a Web-based module versus in-person formative SP examination. We compared scores on a subsequent high-stakes SP examination and satisfaction.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Scores on the subsequent high-stakes SP examination did not differ between the two formative formats but were higher after the formative assessment than without (p < .001). Satisfaction was higher with the in-person than Web-based formative assessment format (4.00 vs. 3.62 on a 5-point scale, p = .01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Two formats of a formative SP examination led to equivalent improvement in scores on a subsequent high-stakes examination. Students preferred an in-person formative examination to online but were satisfied with both.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, California 94143-0131, USA. khauer@medicine.ucsf.edu
authors.forename: Karen E
authors.initials: KE
authors.lastname: Hauer
authors.forename: Calvin L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Chou
authors.forename: Kevin H
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Souza
authors.forename: Duncan
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Henry
authors.forename: Helen
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Loeser
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Burke
authors.forename: Chandler
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Mayfield
authors.forename: Patricia S
authors.initials: PS
authors.lastname: O'Sullivan
mesh_terms: D000704:Analysis of Variance; D002140:California; D003194:Computer-Assisted Instruction; D003479:Curriculum; D004504:Education, Medical, Undergraduate / Q000379:methods*; D004521:Educational Measurement; D006801:Humans; D020407:Internet; D016544:Patient Simulation; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires