Deliberate Practice with Standardized Patient Actors and the Development of Formative Feedback for Advance Care Planning Facilitators

Abstract Objective: Multimodal curricular assessment after adding standardized patient (SP) actor-based simulation to an advance care planning (ACP) facilitator training course and development of a formative feedback tool. Background: ACP represents a highly valued service requiring more and better trained facilitators. Methods: Participants were primarily nurses and social workers in a large multisite health system. The course included a precourse video demonstration of ACP, traditional lectures, and four 30-minute simulations with SPs. Knowledge was tested with a multiple choice question (MCQ) test. In addition to standard postcourse/postsimulation evaluations, learners were surveyed pre/post/30–90 days delayed for self-perceived confidence. A linear mixed-effects model was used to analyze changes over time. Trained faculty rated performance in simulations with an observational mini-clinical examination (mini-CEX)-type rating form with a checklist, global competency, and global communication rating. Int...