Turning HEADSS: Utilizing Coached Role-Play to Increase Student Self-Efficacy with Adolescent Interviewing Skills

Abstract

Introduction Adolescent patients make up a significant number of the primary care population, yet medical training specific to adolescents is inadequate and challenging. 2 Medical trainees report feeling less competent caring for adolescents compared to caring for infants and children. 3 Framed after an adolescent HEADSS (Home, Education/employment, peer group Activities, Drugs, Sexuality and Suicide/depression) interview role-play activity for pediatric clerkship students, 1,2 this study sought to investigate the impact that facilitated role-play would have on physician assistant (PA) students' self-perceived knowledge, skills, and comfort in interviewing adolescents. Methods A coached role-play focused on skills used during a HEADSS interview was used to demonstrate the communication skills inherently important to adolescent encounters. Pre- and postintervention surveys were administered. Results Data from 2 sequential cohorts (n = 88) showed statistically significant improvement in pre- versus postsession self-perception of knowledge (p ≤ 0.0001) and skills (p ≤ 0.0001), but not in comfort (p = 0.1610). Discussion Teaching PA students how best to engage with adolescents can be done effectively via coached role-play.