Enhancing patient interview and clinical examination training: the impact of the Simroid dental training robot

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to explore the effects of the Simroid dental training robot on the training of undergraduate dental students in patient interviews and clinical examinations. METHODS: Undergraduate students who participated in internship rotations in the Department of Endodontics at Tianjin Stomatological Hospital from July 2023 to June 2025 were enrolled as the research participants. This study adopted a non-randomized controlled design, dividing students from different academic years into two groups: the control group received conventional training, while the experimental group utilized the Simroid patient robot for patient interview and clinical examination training. The effectiveness of the training was evaluated using the Mini Clinical Exercise Evaluation (Mini-CEX) and a learning satisfaction questionnaire. Statistical analyses were conducted through independent samples t-test and repeated measures ANOVA. RESULTS: The experimental group achieved significantly higher assessment scores in both clinical examination and doctor-patient communication compared to the control group (P < 0.05). Additionally, the experimental group reported higher levels of learning satisfaction. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrated that incorporating the Simroid dental training robot into patient interview and clinical examination training significantly enhanced undergraduate students' clinical examination skills and doctor-patient communication abilities. By enabling students to proficiently master patient interview process and experience realistic doctor-patient communication scenarios during preclinical training, this approach effectively prepared them for subsequent clinical internships.