Application of using standardized patient tutorial in the specialized training of pancreatic surgery with WeChat platform

Objective To analyze the effect of using standardized patient (SP) tutorial in the spe-cialized training of pancreatic surgery with WeChat platform. Methods 48 surgeons participating in resi-dent standardized training in Changhai Hospital (all for postgraduate education) were enrolled as teaching object. 48 surgeons were divided into two groups: SP group (n=24) receiving WeChat combined with SP tutorial which updates learning plan, learning contents, and clinical discussion by Wechat platform and performs practical teaching by SP method, control group (n=24) receiving traditional tutorial by using tradi-tional clinical teaching methods and video teaching followed by practical teaching. The theoretical examination, questionnaires and expert assessment were used to evaluate the effect of the two teaching methods. Statistical analysis was performed using the SPSS 19.0. Continuous data were expressed as median±stan-dard deviation and compared using the Student’s t-test. Categorical data were compared using the Pearson's chi-square test. Results The score of theoretical examination of the two groups showed no significant difference [(85.5±7.6) vs. (81.4±14.9), P=0.238]. The results of questionnaires and expert assessment in WeChat & SP group were significantly better than those in the control group (P 0.05). Conclusion WeChat platform combined with standardized patient tutorial in the specialized training of pancreatic surgery is feasible and more effective than traditional tutorial to improve teaching effectiveness. Key words: Standardized patient; WeChat; Pancreatic surgery; Specialized training