Standardized patients’ training for a high-stakes OSCE: Experience from a French medical school

Abstract

Abstract Background Standardized participants (SPs) methodology is widely used in the context of the Objective Structured Examination (OSCE). Training of SPs fornational licensure OSCE has to ensure the standardization and the reliability of SPs. The aims of the present study were to describe a single center experience in the process of the development of the SPs’ training framework for high-stakes OSCEs with the SPs as partners. Methods : An exploratory single center observational study conducted between 2019 and 2021 describing a workflow during the development of the training framework of the SPs for high-stakes OSCEs and evaluating its perceived effectiveness during a formative OSCE. Data were obtained through self-assessment questionnaires. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze items of the questionnaires. Free-text answers were analyzed thematically. Results In total, 17 out of 20 members (85%) of our SPs bank participated in the development of the training framework comporting three two-hour sessions and its evaluation during three formative OSCE session. Sixteen examiners evaluated a mean of 27.7 +/- 3.6 SD patient-student encounters. In total, 93.5% of the SPs out of 16, considered the contact with students as easy and 87.5%, as comfortable. Four SPs (31%) reported the experience as stressful due to fears of making mistakes. Two themes emerged from the free-text comments of the SPs trainees: “ SPs gaining experience as SP” and “ Concerns for the evaluated students.” Free-text comments of the examiners revealed their interest to debrief the OSCE case in collaboration with the student and SP trainees. Conclusions The here proposed approach is feasible and might be useful for other medical schools initiating SP-based assessment programs. We plan to study the impact of the training framework on the students’ outcomes in summative OSCEs. Future research could explore the utility of self-efficacy as an assessment tool of the readiness of SPs. It would also be interesting to follow individual learning trajectories of the SPs.