Purpose of the Client-to-Class and SP Program

The purpose of the Client-to-Class and SP program is to enhance the learning and education of our health care students. Bringing in clients into our classroom gives our students a chance to evaluate and learn from people with actual health conditions. Standardized Patients (SPs) give our students a simulated experience with realistically portrayed patients. They are used as both medical models for physical examinations and to portray a medical patient to test our students on their classroom knowledge. SPs are also a valuable resource to our program because they provide feedback from the patient point of view to each student after each simulated experience. These hands-on experiences enhances the knowledge gained in didactic education and allows the students an opportunity to hone their communication, diagnostic and examination skills.

What is a Client?

Clients are members of the community with particular health conditions who are invited to help with the education of students in Elon University’s School of Health Sciences. Clients play a unique and vital role in student education, giving students realistic, firsthand experience working with people of all ages with a variety of health needs.

 

 

 

 

What is a Standardized Patient (SP)?

Standardized Patients are hired as part-time/temporary employees. Once hired they are trained to portray a real patient within a staged health setting to enhance the learning experience of students in Elon University’s School of Health Sciences. SPs provide students an opportunity to engage in patient-centered communication, evaluation, treatment planning and patient education skills within a controlled simulated environment.