Background & Aims

Effective healthcare hinges on proficient communication, underpinning trust-based therapeutic bonds and the attainment of treatment goals. Health practitioners employ diverse strategies like active listening, open questioning, and reassurance to ensure patients feel heard, understood, and engaged. However, honing these skills requires tailored training. Simulation, while not a substitute for real patient encounters, offers a controlled setting for learners to refine communication abilities, fostering self-awareness and improved patient care. Our aim is to integrate ChatGPT, an AI-based language model, into simulated patient interactions, providing an adaptable learning environment for students to hone communication skills and bolster self-awareness.

Methods

This simulation was conducted asynchronously with 12 students as part of the Neuroscience of Pain postgraduate module for orthopedic physiotherapy fellows. The educational objectives and instructions for conducting a simulated patient interview using ChatGPT were provided in a text file. The preparation included theoretical information on eight communication strategies, highlighting which elements of each strategy could be simulated textually, along with examples of questions and responses to practice them. Suggestions were also provided on conducting shared decision-making. The tutorial for conducting the simulation on ChatGPT consisted of prompts, including instructions to guide the chatbot’s role-playing as a patient during the conversation, followed by its function as tutor providing feedback. Students were instructed to create a PDF file containing one complete sequence of their interaction with the AI and received formative assessment feedback from the supervisor in written form.

Results

As part of the results of this activity, we obtained a series of prompts, including: a) a detailed patient description and a request to simulate a first consultation interview, b) a request to identify and highlight which strategies were applied throughout the interaction and, c) A request for points of improvement in the communication process.
Simulation based on the ChatGPT free version proved to be a useful option for training communication skills. Students were curious and interested. Most reported that the simulation was valuable, particularly due to the feedback and improvement suggestions received. Students also mentioned some technical aspects during the interaction with ChatGPT, such as receiving alerts based on the content of the conversation or proposed treatment, and the occasional instances where ChatGPT failed to simulate the patient and responded directly to the question instead of responding as a patient would in a conversation.

Conclusions

In conclusion, this simulation utilizes AI as a valuable educational tool, expanding the scope of AI in education to develop skills for teaching pain neuroscience. With the ability to create patient profiles with distinct levels of understanding and varying challenges for students, it offers a versatile platform. Although ChatGPT is not a real patient, and the simulation does not encompass crucial non-verbal communication aspects, such as eye contact and body mirroring, it can facilitate the development of self-awareness and self-monitoring of communication performance. This approach fosters autonomy and encourages critical self-reflection among students, emphasizing the importance of adapting to evolving healthcare communication paradigms.

References

Verheijden, M., Giroldi, E., van den Eertwegh, V., Luijkx, M., van der Weijden, T., de Bruin, A., & Timmerman, A. (2023). Identifying characteristics of a skilled communicator in the clinical encounter. Medical education, 57(5), 418–429. https://doi.org/10.1111/medu.14953

Presenting Author

Anamaria Siriani de Oliveira

Poster Authors

Anamaria Siriani de Oliveira

Universidade de São Paulo

Lead Author

E-mail

Topics

  • Education