Simulated patients in training and supervision
| ISRCTN | ISRCTN19173895 |
|---|---|
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1186/ISRCTN19173895 |
| Secondary identifying numbers | WE 4654/10-1; KU 3790/2-1 |
- Submission date
- 06/12/2019
- Registration date
- 10/12/2019
- Last edited
- 09/01/2025
- Recruitment status
- No longer recruiting
- Overall study status
- Completed
- Condition category
- Other
Plain English Summary
Background and study aims
Psychotherapy is highly effective and widely acknowledged for treating various mental disorders. In terms of methods for teaching effective psychotherapeutic approaches and competencies, there has been a lack of investigation. Training and supervision are the main strategies for teaching therapist competencies. Standardized role plays with simulated patients (trained persons playing someone with a mental disorder) are useful for evaluating training approaches. In medical education, this procedure is now internationally established. However, little use has been made so far of standardized role playing to evaluate training and supervision in the area of clinical psychology and psychotherapy. Yet, this approach has a considerable potential for systemizing research. During the first phase of the research project, standardized role playing will be adapted to assess therapist competencies in clinical-psychological practice. In the second phase, standardized role plays are used to evaluate methods for training and supervision. In two experiments, central approaches for treating depression are trained (cognitive restructuring and behavioral activation). The first experiment compares an active training approach (model learning) with a passive one (reading the manual). The second experiment compares two methods of supervision (verbal report vs video analysis).
Who can participate?
Psychology students
What does the study involve?
In each experiment, students are randomly allocated to the experimental and control groups, and to the order of the training topics (behavioral activation and cognitive strategies or vice versa). Training: In the experimental group, participants watch a video of an experienced psychotherapist who skillfully demonstrates behavioral activation (Video 1) and cognitive strategies (Video 2) with an SP demonstrating a depressive disorder. In the control group, participants watch two unspecific learning tutorials.
Supervision: In the experimental group, participants show their video on behavioral activation (Video 1) and on cognitive techniques (Video 2) of an interaction with an SP demonstrating a depressive disorder to a supervisor (behaviorally-based). In the control group, participants report their experiences with the role plays to a supervisor (verbally-based supervision).
Each student takes part in three role plays (before, after and three-month follow-up) which are all videotaped. Two independent raters assess the therapist competence of each role play on the basis of an established competence scale.
What are the possible benefits and risks of participating?
Participants will contribute to the further development of training and supervision methods. Participation may be associated with anxiety during the video recordings.
Where is the study run from?
University of Potsdam (Germany)
When is the study starting and how long is it expected to run for?
June 2019 to March 2023
Who is funding the study?
German Research Foundation
Who is the main contact?
Dr Franziska Kühne
dr.franziska.kuehne@uni-potsdam.de
Contact information
Scientific
Karl-Liebknecht-Str. 24-25
Potsdam
14476
Germany
 ORCID ID |
0000-0001-9636-5247 |
|---|---|
| Phone | +49 (0)331/977-2096 |
| dr.franziska.kuehne@uni-potsdam.de |
Study information
| Study design | Single-center randomized-controlled trial |
|---|---|
| Primary study design | Interventional |
| Secondary study design | Randomised controlled trial |
| Study setting(s) | Other |
| Study type | Other |
| Scientific title | Simulated patients in training and supervision for the evaluation of therapeutic competencies |
| Study hypothesis | Post-training, psychology students randomized to the intervention group (i.e., modeling) will display more therapeutic competencies than students in the control group (i.e., reading written instructions; hypothesis 1). These differences will persist until 3-month follow-up (hypothesis 2). Post-supervision, psychology students randomized to the intervention group (i.e., supervision based on video sessions) will display more therapeutic competencies than students in the control group (i.e., supervision based on verbal reporting; hypothesis 3). These differences will persist until 3-month follow-up (hypothesis 4). |
| Ethics approval(s) | Approved 23/05/2018 by the University of Potsdam ethics review committee (Universität Potsdam, Ethikkommission des Senats, Gremienverwaltung, Nadine Mohaupt, Am Neuen Palais 10, 14469 Potsdam, Germany; Tel: +49 (0)331 977 1791; Email: nadine.mohaupt@uni-potsdam.de), ref: 9/2018 |
| Condition | Therapeutic competence |
| Intervention | Participants (i.e., bachelor and master students included either as trainees or supervisees) will conduct therapy sessions with standardized patients. They will be randomized in a 1:1 manner by computer-generated numbers and allocated to the experimental or control groups, and to the order of the training topics (behavioral activation and cognitive strategies or vice versa). The allocation will be implemented by a researcher independent of the role plays. Training (modeling vs written instructions) Supervision (based on video sessions vs based on verbal reporting) Training: In the experimental group, participants will watch a video of an experienced psychotherapist who skillfully demonstrates behavioral activation (Video 1) and cognitive strategies (Video 2) with an SP demonstrating a depressive disorder. In the control group, participants will watch two unspecific learning tutorials. Supervision: In the experimental group, participants will show their video on behavioral activation (Video 1) and on cognitive techniques (Video 2) of an interaction with an SP demonstrating a depressive disorder to a supervisor (behaviorally-based). In the control group, participants will report their experiences with the role plays to a supervisor (verbally-based supervision). Total duration of the first appointment: 3.5 hours, and of the follow-up appointment: 1.5 hours. |
| Intervention type | Other |
| Primary outcome measure | Measured at pre, post- and 3-month follow-up: 1. Psychotherapeutic competencies measured via the Cognitive Therapy Scale (CTS) 2. Therapeutic techniques measured using a self-developed checklist |
| Secondary outcome measures | Measured at pre, post- and 3-month follow-up unless otherwise specified: 1. Therapeutic alliance measured using the Helping Alliance questionnaire (HAQ) 2. Empathy measured via the Empathy Scale 3. Therapeutic adherence measured using the Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy Adherence Scale (CBT-AS) 4. Therapeutic knowledge evaluated by multiple choice questions and case vignettes 5. Anxiety measured by the state-trait-anxiety (STAI) 6. Authenticity measured by the Authenticity of Patient Demonstrations (APD) scale 7. Counseling skills measured using the Helping Skills Measure 8. Negative therapist effects measured using self-developed questionnaire 9. Personality measured by the Big Five Inventory (BFI-K) at post-measurement 10. Allegiance effects measured using self-developed questionnaire at pre-measurement 11. The individual perception of the study measured using a self-developed questionnaire at post- measurement and 3-month follow-up 12. Demographic data measured using a self-developed questionnaire at pre-measurement and 3-month follow-up |
| Overall study start date | 15/06/2019 |
| Overall study end date | 13/03/2023 |
Eligibility
| Participant type(s) | Other |
|---|---|
| Age group | Adult |
| Sex | Both |
| Target number of participants | 136 |
| Total final enrolment | 70 |
| Participant inclusion criteria | 1. Psychology students 2. Informed consent (i.e., agreement to the video recordings) |
| Participant exclusion criteria | 1. Currently in psychotherapeutic treatment 2. Insufficient German language skills |
| Recruitment start date | 04/12/2019 |
| Recruitment end date | 01/03/2023 |
Locations
Countries of recruitment
- Germany
Study participating centre
Germany
Sponsor information
University/education
Am Neuen Palais 10
Potsdam
14469
Germany
| Phone | +49 (0)331/977-0 |
|---|---|
| buero.praesident@uni-potsdam.de | |
| Website | https://www.uni-potsdam.de/en |
Funders
Funder type
Research organisation
Government organisation / National government
- Alternative name(s)
- German Research Association, German Research Foundation, DFG
- Location
- Germany
Results and Publications
| Intention to publish date | 31/12/2024 |
|---|---|
| Individual participant data (IPD) Intention to share | No |
| IPD sharing plan summary | Not expected to be made available |
| Publication and dissemination plan | Planned protocol publication in a peer-reviewed journal. Planned publication of the study results in a high-impact peer-reviewed journal. |
| IPD sharing plan | The datasets generated during and/or analysed during the current study are not expected to be made available. Since making the individual participant data publicly available was not covered by the ethics vote, they will be held on a password-protected computer at the researchers' department until deletion (after 10 years) is prescribed. |
Study outputs
| Output type | Details | Date created | Date added | Peer reviewed? | Patient-facing? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Protocol article | protocol | 18/03/2020 | 19/03/2020 | Yes | No |
| Interim results article | proof-of-concept trial | 15/12/2022 | 16/12/2022 | Yes | No |
| Results article | 28/11/2024 | 09/01/2025 | Yes | No |
Editorial Notes
09/01/2025: Publication reference added.
18/12/2023: The intention to publish date has been changed from 31/12/2023 to 31/12/2024.
15/03/2023: The following changes were made to the trial record:
1. The recruitment end date was changed from 31/03/2023 to 01/03/2023.
2. The overall trial end date was changed from 15/06/2023 to 13/03/2023.
3. Total final enrolment added.
16/12/2022: Publication reference added.
11/07/2022: The following changes have been made:
1. Recruitment has been resumed.
2. The recruitment end date has been changed from 31/12/2021 to 31/03/2023.
3. The overall trial end date has been changed from 15/06/2022 to 15/06/2023 and the plain English summary updated accordingly.
4. The intention to publish date has been changed from 31/12/2022 to 31/12/2023.
17/04/2020: Due to current public health guidance, recruitment for this study has been paused.
19/03/2020: Publication reference added.
09/12/2019: Trial's existence confirmed by University of Potsdam ethics review committee.
