Comparison of standardized patients and real patients as an experiential teaching strategy in a nutrition counseling course for dietetic students.

Objectives: To compare the quality of communication and behavioral change skills among dietetic students having two nutrition encounters with either a real patient or a standardized patient in the simulation laboratory at Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, United States.

Methods: A retrospective analysis of video recordings (n=138) containing nutrition encounters of dietetic students (n=75) meeting with a standardized patient (SP) or a real patient (RP). Trained raters evaluated communication skills with the 28 item Calgary Cambridge Observation Guide (CCOG) and skills promoting behavior change using the 11 item Behavior Change Counseling Index (BECCI) tool.