title: Advocacy skills in resident doctors.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The objective of this project was to study whether a standardised patient clinical encounter learning exercise improved an Obstetrics and Gynaecology (OBGYN) resident's ability to perform patient advocacy, a systems-based practice skill.
  
  
  METHODS
  Case-control study: each of the 12 residents functioned as their own control. Additionally, aggregate data from the programme was reviewed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Twelve residents from a mid-sized OBGYN residency programme performed a standardised patient clinical encounter exercise in March of 2014. As demonstrated by the Assessment for Professional Behavior (APB) 360° evaluation, the overall total scores for the programme on patient advocacy improved, with statistical significance, when analysed by the signed ranked test. Additionally, the residents' self-identified capability to perform advocacy improved after the programme, with statistical significance, when analysed by the signed rank test.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A standardised patient clinical encounter, used as a learning exercise, can demonstrate meaningful improvement in the advocacy skills of a resident doctor.
authors.affiliation: Obstetrics and Gynecology Department, Florida State University, Pensacola, Florida, USA.
authors.forename: Julie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: DeCesare
authors.affiliation: Obstetrics and Gynecology Department, Florida State University, Pensacola, Florida, USA.
authors.forename: Jessica
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0003-0992-5213
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Jackson
mesh_terms: D002983:Clinical Competence; D006176:Gynecology / Q000193:education*; D006801:Humans; D007396:Internship and Residency / Q000379:methods*; D009774:Obstetrics / Q000193:education*; D010344:Patient Advocacy / Q000193:education*; D016544:Patient Simulation; D010819:Physician's Role