Does a Simulated Patient Experience improve Physiotherapy Students Confidence of Shared Decision Making? A mixed methods study

Background: Physiotherapy entry-level programs are designed to equip graduates with the skills required to be autonomous practitioners. Innovative teaching methods, such as role-play simulation, are designed to support students' transition into practice. This study aimed to investigate if a simulated patient experience could influence student confidence when facilitating behavioural change using a shared decision-making approach.
Methods: A mixed methods design comprising online pre- and post-surveys of student physiotherapists at one UK Higher Education Institution, followed by an invitation to participate in a follow-up semi-structured focus-group. Pre and post-simulation surveys were completed in addition to the Modified Satisfaction with Simulation Experience (MSSE) survey. Likert scale data were treated as numeric variables with the median and Inter-quartile range calculated for combined responses across potential answers. Focus groups included semi-structured questions with thematic analysis generating themes.
Results: All 39 respondents ‘Strongly Agreed’ that they were satisfied with the simulated experience, which could be transferred to clinical practice (5, IQR 4-5). The stimulation developed both confidence (5, IQR 4-5) and developed participants’ perception of their shared decision-making skills (4, IQR 4-5). Three key emergent themes from the focus groups included: 1) Bridging the gap between clinical practice, 2) Authenticity, and 3) Psychological safety.
Conclusion: The simulated role-play patient experience improved the confidence and participants’ perception of their ability to use shared decision making to facilitate behavioural change. Themes from the semi-structured interviews suggested increased authenticity and psychological safety during the task, which could bridge the gap between theoretical teaching and clinical practice