Observational Study
Copyright ©The Author(s) 2024. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
World J Psychiatry. Jan 19, 2024; 14(1): 111-118
Published online Jan 19, 2024. doi: 10.5498/wjp.v14.i1.111
Embracing different languages and local differences: Co-constructive patient simulation strengthens host countries’ clinical training in psychiatry
Şafak Eray Çamlı, Büşra Ece Yavuz, Meliha Feyza Gök, Idil Yazgan, Yanki Yazgan, Ayelet Brand-Gothelf, Doron Gothelf, Doron Amsalem, Andrés Martin
Şafak Eray Çamlı, Büşra Ece Yavuz, Meliha Feyza Gök, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Bursa Uludağ University Faculty of Medicine, Bursa 16059 Turkey
Idil Yazgan, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, United States
Yanki Yazgan, Güzel Günler Clinic, Beşiktaş/İstanbul 34335 Turkey
Yanki Yazgan, Andrés Martin, Child Study Center, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, United States
Ayelet Brand-Gothelf, The Feinberg Child Study Center, Schneider Children's Medical Center of Israel, Tel Aviv University, Petach Tikvah 4920235, Israel
Doron Gothelf, The Child Psychiatry Division, Edmond and Lily Safra Children’s Hospital, Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer, Ramat Gan 52561, Israel
Doron Gothelf, Faculty of Medicine and Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 6997801, Israel
Doron Amsalem, Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY 10032, United States
Author contributions: All authors made substantial contributions to the conception and design of the work; as acquisition and interpretation of the data for the work; they all were part of drafting the work and revising it critically for important intellectual content; they all provided final approval of the version to be published. The corresponding author takes final responsibility for the accuracy and integrity of the work.
Institutional review board statement: This study was approved by the Yale University Institutional Review Board, No. 2000026241.
Informed consent statement: All study participants provided informed written consent prior to study enrollment.
Conflict-of-interest statement: The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare.
Data sharing statement: The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author (Andrés Martin), upon reasonable request.
STROBE statement: The authors have read the STROBE Statement-checklist of items, and the manuscript was prepared and revised according to the STROBE Statement-checklist of items.
Open-Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: https://creativecommons.org/Licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Andrés Martin, MD, PhD, Professor, Child Study Center, Yale School of Medicine, 230 South Frontage Road, New Haven, CT 06520, United States. andres.martin@yale.edu
Received: August 31, 2023
Peer-review started: August 31, 2023
First decision: October 24, 2023
Revised: October 30, 2023
Accepted: December 22, 2023
Article in press: December 22, 2023
Published online: January 19, 2024
Processing time: 140 Days and 16.7 Hours
ARTICLE HIGHLIGHTS
Research background

Human simulation has a long tradition in medical education, but has made limited inroads in psychiatric education, particularly as pertaining to child and adolescent clinical scenarios.

Research motivation

We sought to expand human simulation applications in child psychiatry. Specifically, we explored the adaptation of simulation in two international settings by embracing different languages and local differences.

Research objectives

We examined: (1) The replicability of a simulation model into international settings; (2) The ability to develop a train-the-trainer approach toward local capacity building in child and adolescent psychiatry (CAP) simulation; and (3) The feasibility of conducting sessions using synchronized videoconferencing.

Research methods

We conducted six human simulation sessions with standardized patients from two host countries, using their native languages (Turkish and Hebrew), and adapting the co-constructive patient simulation (CCPS) model. As local participants became increasingly familiar with the CCPS approach, they took on the role of facilitator—in the country’s native language. We conceptualize these two applications of the CCPS model as a way to welcome, celebrate, foster, and learn from local realities and innovations in clinical practice.

Research results

Fifty-three learners participated: 19 in Türkiye and 24 in Israel. Through the CCPS model we were able to harness human simulation as a novel way of psychiatric education and training that is immersive, experiential, and uniquely tailored to (and by) its intended learners. We were able to approach the two CCPS applications in different ways, each exemplifying regional variations of similar goals.

Research conclusions

Our approach describes a pedagogic vehicle to welcome and foster local innovations in clinical practice, benefit from hard-earned and important sources of local and regional expertise, while at the same time resisting neocolonial approaches that privilege over-reliance on hegemonic models of education.

Research perspectives

Human simulation is a powerful pedagogic approach to improve reflective practice and enhance clinical care. It provides a safe and risk-free environment in which to practice and refine skills. By involving learners in the creation of learning goals and associated scenarios, the CCPS approach is particularly relevant to psychiatry in general, and to CAP in particular.