Accepted for/Published in: JMIR Formative Research
Date Submitted: Jun 7, 2025
Date Accepted: May 13, 2026
Date Submitted to PubMed: May 19, 2026
Standardized patient versus video demonstration for teaching spinal injury management psycho-motor skills to undergraduate medical students: A Comparative study
ABSTRACT
Background:
Emergency trauma care (ETC) during the "golden hour" can reduce fatality rates by 20-50%. Teaching ETC skills, such as spinal injury management, in the undergraduate Indian medical curriculum can prepare students to be first responders. Teaching these psychomotor skills effectively in competency-based medical education (CBME) is challenging. Standardized patients (SP) allow students to learn hands-on skills safely with real-time feedback, but their availability is limited. Video demonstrations (VD) provide an accessible alternative.
Objective:
This study compares the effectiveness of standardized patient and video demonstration in teaching spinal injury management to undergraduate medical students.
Methods:
A prospective interventional study was conducted in the Orthopaedics department of a teaching hospital from September 2024 to February 2025, with Institutional Ethics Committee approval. Thirty students were divided into two groups: one received VD of cervical collar application and log rolling, while the other learned with SP. The students were assessed using an objective structured clinical examination (OSCE), pre- and post-tests, and feedback surveys. Data were analyzed using t-tests for OSCE scores and pre/post-test comparisons, with statistical significance set at p<0.05.
Results:
The SP group scored significantly higher in OSCE assessments (18.27 vs. 15.47, p=0.004). However, no significant difference was found in individual skill stations (log rolling and cervical spine immobilization) between the two groups (p=0.74 and 0.79). Student feedback indicated that SP-based teaching was more engaging and boosted confidence for real-world application.
Conclusions:
Both standardized patient and video demonstration methods are equally effective in teaching spinal injury management psychomotor skills.
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