Standardized patient training for neurological examination: providing precise, technique-oriented feedback

Standardized patients (SPs) are widely used in clinical skills education, primarily to support communication training and clinical performance assessment. However, structured training that enables SPs to recognize technical errors and provide precise, technique-oriented feedback during neurological examinations remains limited. Twelve experienced SPs completed a 16-hour structured training program, starting with knowledge comprehension and terminology standardization, followed by video‑based study of normal examination signs, and culminating in practical sessions focused on error recognition and technique‑oriented feedback. Formative assessments evaluated SPs’ ability to detect predefined examination errors (pass threshold ≥ 85%). Certified SPs then participated in a neurological examination module for undergraduate medical students, providing real-time feedback under faculty supervision. Anonymous questionnaires were administered to both SPs and students to assess perceptions of the training and teaching process. One SP withdrew due to personal reasons. Ten of eleven SPs who completed the training met the predefined error detection benchmark. SPs reported high satisfaction with the training and expressed confidence in providing technique-focused feedback. Most students perceived SP feedback as helpful for the study of neurological examinations. This pilot study demonstrates the feasibility of training SPs to provide precise, technique-oriented feedback in neurological examination teaching. Both SPs and students reported high acceptability of this instructional approach. Further studies using objective performance measures and comparison groups are needed to evaluate its educational effectiveness.