Simulations for Teaching and Evaluating Nutrition-Focused Physical Exam Skills.

Abstract Objective To develop, implement, and evaluate a patient simulation to assess Nutrition-Focused Physical Exam (NFPE) skills among dietetics students. Methods Three student cohorts (n = 47) in a combined internship and master's program participated. Curricula included: (1) formal instruction with practice resources, (2) baseline NFPE evaluation performed on a classmate, and (3) final NFPE evaluation performed on a standardized patient. Trained observers evaluated students using the NFPE Skills Assessment tool. Self-rated performance was assessed by the 8-item survey completed at baseline and after the final evaluation. Paired t tests analyzed differences in observed NFPE skill, and 1-tailed Wilcoxon signed-rank test analyzed differences in survey responses. Results Nutrition-Focused Physical Exam skill improvements were observed for each cohort (P Conclusions and Implications Simulations were an effective method for increasing observed and perceived NFPE skills among dietetics students. These findings justify the investigation of these methods within a larger sample of students from multiple programs with rigorous study design.