‘Acting it out really makes it stick in your brain’: Educating students for patient portrayal during peer simulation

Introduction Peer simulation is a method of simulation-based education (SBE) whereby students are educated to portray patient roles for peers. This potentially delivers accessible, high-impact, low-cost SBE that could be utilised in lower resourced settings. However, the most effective method of educating students to portray patient roles is currently not known. This study aimed to determine if the method of education for patient portrayal impacts portrayal accuracy, empathy development, and academic performance. Students' perspectives of education approaches were explored.