F. Shawn Galin, PhD Director, Office of Standardized Patient EducationThe Office of Standardized Patient Education (OSPE) is part of the Center for Interprofessional Education and Simulation (CIPES). The primary goal of OSPE is to enhance clinical skill acquisition and assessment. To achieve this goal, OSPE works with clients within and outside of UAB to provide learners with highly reliable Standardized Patient Encounters. In these encounters, learners interact with Standardized Patients (SPs) in mock clinical experiences, with SPs playing roles that are designed to represent the complaints seen most often by healthcare practitioners.

   

Mission

The mission of OSPE is to create formative and interactive educational experiences that will provide students and health care professionals a supportive environment in which to hone their interpersonal and empathetic skills, as well as their diagnostic and problem solving abilities.

 

What is a Standardized Patient

Standardized Patients provide standardized performances – portraying history, physical exam findings, and emotional affect of real patients exactly the same with each learner and thus providing everyone with the same educational experience. Learners may practice their interviewing skills, patient-physician communication, history taking, physical exam skills, diagnosis, and/or patient management. SPs at OSPE have also been trained to deliver constructive feedback regarding a learner’s interpersonal and communication skills.

SPs are valuable in helping learners in the health professions translate didactic knowledge into clinical expertise in a safe learning environment. Simulation using SPs is a pedagogical paradigm through which learners can practice clinical skills, learn from mistakes, and ultimately build competence and confidence.

The OSPE employs a diverse and comprehensive group of Standardized Patients, encompassing all ages, races, ethnic groups, religions, genders, etc.