We specialise in:

1. Role-play

For use in standardised patient programmes or OSCE assessments. We can design workshops to suit your requirements or work with previously written role play scripts and scenarios.  Our actors use cognitive, auditory, visual, tactile, psychological and emotional cues to help the candidate get the best out of the time allocated.

2. Confederates in high fidelity manikin based simulation

Our actors have strong interpersonal skills and are trained to act as confederates in scenarios requiring a number of practitioners, sometimes taking on the role of medical practitioners.

3. Hybrid Simulation

Our actors are skilled at portraying the role of patients undergoing technical procedures and are skilled at learning and understanding the procedures and the emotions associated with various technical practices.

4. Feedback

Clinicians in a real-world scenario are unable to ask a patient how well they communicated. The feedback element is a practical device aimed at facilitating swifter and more thorough training for the medical practitioner. Our actors provide feedback in a structured format and can be part of the overall assessment process.

At ActEd we understand the challenges of the modern NHS. There is a need for greater transparency, openness and accountability and delivering a high standard of care is essential. The core of many complaints and medical errors stem from bad communication, an issue that is rectified by training and practice in a safe environment. Globalisation and the numbers of international medical graduates within the health service are on the increase and this brings its own challenges in maintaining effective communication. Continual reinforcement of training and assessment are becoming more important than ever in ensuring health sector workers are effective communicators.

What do we mean by good communication?

 

1. The ability to listen.

To be able to hear a particular tone of voice or the way someone is breathing and, of course, the language they use to communicate with you.

2 .The ability to empathise.

To understand what the patient might be feeling so you can adjust accordingly.

3. Good observation.

To be sensitive to physical or verbal cues from your patient and recognising which approach will work best.

4. Spontaneity.

The ability to respond in the moment to the needs of your patient. This depends entirely on how present you are.

5. Basic physical skills.

Good eye contact, whether or not it is appropriate to lay a comforting hand on the patient and be mindful for the need for personal space.

 

There is lots of published evidence to support the use of role play simulation in training healthcare professionals:

 

1. The training program can be dictated by the learner, not the patient.

2.  Ability to choose what to focus on, whole procedures or specific components.

3. The learners can practice as often as required.

4. Learning in a safe environment without compromising patient safety.

5. Standardised assessment, shaped according to the needs of the training session.

6. The learners have permission to fail in a supportive environment.

7. Immediate feedback.

8. Simulated learning environments offer the opportunity for individual as well as collaborative learning.

9. A robust method of practising clinical, communication, leadership and interpersonal skills.