Affiliations: Universität Leipzig | Universität Freiburg | Universität Hamburg | Charité Universitätsmedizin, Berlin | Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena
Note: [] Korrespondenzadresse: Katrin Rockenbauch, Universität
Leipzig, Selbstständige Abteilung für Medizinische Psychologie und
Medizinische Soziologie, Philipp-Rosenthal-Straße 55, 04103 Leipzig.
E-mail: Katrin.Rockenbauch@medizin.uni-leipzig.de
Abstract: In Anglo-Saxon countries simulated patients (SPs) are common in
medical education programs. The extent for which SPs are used is multifaceted
and their roles include, among others, demonstrating symptoms for specific
diseases and acting as patients for doctor-patient-communication as well as in
oral examinations. In 2004, only one third of the German medical faculties used
simulated patients for their education programs (e. g. in Medical Psychology).
This article presents the use and advantages of simulated patients in teaching
medical and communication skills as well as information on how to implement
SP-programs. Concrete examples from different departments ofMedical Psychology
in Germany (e. g. Hamburg, Freiburg, Jena, Leipzig) are provided in order to
give an insight on how different teaching with SPs can be. Furthermore,
suggestions are made for the curriculum and for the necessary resources to help
future implementations of SP-programs.
Keywords: Simulated patient, implementation, Medical Psychology, teaching
