Purpose: To determine if a simulation-based curriculum improves knowledge, confidence, and performance in adolescent gynecologic counseling.
Background: Building trust and empowering adolescents to advocate for their own reproductive health are important skills for healthcare providers but learning opportunities focused on adolescent gynecology counseling are limited during medical school. Studies demonstrate improved healthcare quality through simulation-based training.
Methods: A pre-post single cohort study was designed to examine adolescent gynecology counseling performance among medical students following an intervention of simulated patient encounters with preceptor feedback. The study outcomes include pre-post differences in: (1) knowledge; (2) student confidence levels; and (3) performance assessment scores. Initial general counseling assessments were compared to objective structured clinical exams (OSCEs) at the end of the clerkship. Paired t-tests were used for data analysis.
Results: Forty-five third-year students participated in the study over 1 year. Significant improvement was noted in pre-post knowledge tests (71.13% vs. 88.65%, p< 0.0001) and confidence surveys (3.20 vs. 1.97, p< 0.0001, 1=high, 5=low). Confidence levels improved in the following counseling topics: contraception (3.0 vs. 1.78, p< 0.001); high-risk behaviors (2.36 vs. 1.58, p< 0.0001); pregnancy (3.29 vs. 1.96, p< 0.0001); minority rights (3.62 vs. 2.22, p< 0.0001); facilitating adolescent-parent communication (3.73 vs. 2.33, p< 0.0001). Student performance in general counseling skills also demonstrated significant improvement (85.67% vs 43.51%, p< 0.0001).
Discussions: The use of simulation significantly improved adolescent gynecology counseling competencies in medical students. Providing learners the ability to practice these skills through simulated patient encounters may better prepare them to counsel and teach gynecologic health to adolescents.
Topics: CREOG & APGO Annual Meeting, 2022, Student, Resident, Faculty, Clerkship Director, Residency Director, Patient Care, Medical Knowledge, Systems-Based Practice & Improvement, Practice-Based Learning & Improvement, GME, Virtual Patient, Simulation, Standardized Patient, Team-Based Learning, Contraception or Family Planning, Pediatric & Adolescent Gynecology, Sexuality,
Mira Henien, MD, Inova Fairfax Hospital; Carolyn Davis, MD; Katarina Fleckenstein, MD; Amanda Slater, BA; Emily Marko, MD
