Standardized patient training: a modality for teaching interviewing skills.
BACKGROUND: Standardized patient training involves an experiential approach to clinical training, using laypeople acting as patients to provide skills-building opportunities for health care providers. METHOD: Standardized patient training was used for 2 years in combination with a computer-based continuing education program or traditional inservice program to teach two important communication skills: human immunodeficiency virus-related risk assessment and posttest counseling. FINDINGS: Assessments by more than 500 participants in a rural setting were overwhelmingly positive, with increased willingness and ability to perform the risk assessment and counseling in clinical practice. CONCLUSION: Standardized patient training is viewed very positively by participants. Longitudinal observations of clinical behaviors would be necessary to confirm behavior changes.