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Standardized Performance Assessment Laboratory (SPAL)
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The Standardized Performance Assessment Laboratory (SPAL) is an educational tool that presents simulations of medical scenarios, giving students valuable real life experience. The SPAL uses simulated patients who are trained and compensated to play the role of actual patients. These patients give students the opportunity to practice communication skills and be assessed on their clinical skills in a controlled environment.
The SPAL also gives faculty an opportunity to assess students’ skills, attitudes and provider/patient relationships in a real-world setting. The Standardized Performance Assessment Laboratory is used by the DO, DPM, PA and PT programs. The lab has nearly 100 cases and computer exams available.
Patient Encounters
Student with SPAL patient
The DO first year class has four SPAL practicals while the second year DO class experiences ten SPAL practicals. The DPM first year class has three SPAL practicals while the second year DPM class experiences one podiatric-focused SPAL. The first year PA class experiences five SPAL practicals.
For more information, view the SPAL Experience below.
The Advantages of SPAL
- Simulates the clinical setting
- Provides reliable performance assessment
- Eliminates risk of using real patients
- Ideal for presenting diverse case scenarios
- Provides feedback on interpersonal skills
- Provides opportunity for student skills enhancement prior to clinical rotations
SPAL Staff
Julie Askren, R.N., SPAL Director
Deb Jones , B.A., Standardized Patient Trainer
Janet Trentmann, B.S., Standardized Patient Trainer
Deb Gordley, Administrative Secretary
The staff of the Standardized Performance Assessment Lab are members of the Association of Standardized Patient Educators.
SPAL is located on the ground floor of Ryan Hall
3200 Grand Avenue Des Moines, Iowa
SPAL Primary Objectives
- To provide a realistic examination setting to help medical students enhance communication and diagnostic reasoning skills before working with patients in clinical settings.
- To provide an opportunity for faculty to assess and evaluate students’ skills in testing situations.
SPAL Goals:
- To serve as a standardized teaching and evaluation tool for students and faculty.
- To encourage improvement of students’ clinical skills by critiquing their own performances via video downloaded to their computer.
- To assist the faculty in the administration of realistic clinical encounters with the use of standardized patients.
- To assist the faculty in identifying the desired level of clinical objectives.
- To assist the faculty in defining the clinical tasks at which students are expected to be competent.
- To assist faculty in standardizing teaching, evaluation, and feedback techniques based on the use of standardized patients.
- To provide a mechanism for demonstrating achievement of curricular clinical outcome.
How has SPAL Benefited Health Professions Education?
Here is what students have to say:
I greatly appreciate this experience. My skills were definitely enhanced, and I am confident they will be helpful in the clinical years. I do not know of any other experience that would have better prepared me for the next two years. The SPAL lab is one of the most valuable pieces of my medical education. It allowed me to put into practice the things I have read in texts and seen in shadowing experiences. Thank you so much for all of your hard work.
I am completely satisfied with the quality of this program and how it has prepared me for rotations. This is a model to all physical diagnosis programs. Thank you to all those who made this experience possible. Excellent learning tool. I hope this will be carried on into the future.
SPAL Facility
The Standardized Performance Assessment Laboratory (SPAL) program began in 1996 and a new facility was built with 12 examination rooms with video and audio capabilities, and direct observation through one-way glass in 2001.
SPAL Learning Resources
- 12 Clinical Examination Rooms - Each equipped with a digital video camera, audio, an intercom system and one-way glass for live observation.
- Equipment Control Room - Where all 12 exam rooms are monitored and video captured.
- Educational Conference Room - Equipped with TV's which have a live link to all 12 examination rooms.
- SPAL Student Computer Lab - 12 station computer lab for post practical examinations.
- Room for Post Encounter Documentation.
- Video Streaming for Students to view and critique their own encounter online while on campus.
SPAL Experience
Welcome to the Standardized Performance Assessment Laboratory at Des Moines University (SPAL)
The following will explain a typical SPAL experience. This lab is designed to help students make the transition from theory to application.
Arrival
Students arrive at the SPAL Atrium area 15 minutes prior to scheduled exam time and cannot bring any personal references or resources to use during the practical, unless permitted by the course coordinator. A pen and pencil and relevant diagnostic tools are required.
Students wear a white lab coat and professional attire (men should wear a tie), DMU photo I.D. (required for admission) and closed toe shoes. No cell phones or electronics are allowed in the patient rooms.
Students are given instructions for the format of the exam for that particular day.
Sign in
Written instructions are provided prior to signing in.
Exam Room Assignments
A Student Exam Folder is provided to each student when exam rooms are assigned, with appropriate patient information included.
Outside the Exam Room
Students are given one minute outside of the patient's room to carefully review and take notes on the presenting situation.
Patient Encounter
After the minute outside of the patient room, students are instructed on when to enter the exam room. Students greet their patient and use the patient name given on the presenting situation.
Patient encounter may include:
- Interview/History Taking
- Physical Examination
- Patient Education
Students are expected to know multiple Physical Exam Skills, depending on course content. Students have been taught necessary skills for history and physicals prior to the practicals.
Post Encounter Write-up
SPAL staff will escort students to a post encounter room where they may complete either a computer exam and/or documentation of encounter.
Hand in folder to SPAL Staff/Exit Building
Students writing about their post encounter expierences
Students are not to discuss or transmit information about their case. All SPAL activities are covered under the DMU Academic Honor Code Policy.
For more information on SPAL, please contact Julie Askren, SPAL director, at 515.271.1556 or Julie.Askren@dmu.edu
Students waiting for a SPAL assignment
Student with a SPAL patient
Students outside SPAL rooms
Standardized Patient Program
A Standardized Patient is a person who has been carefully coached to accurately simulate a patient with a medical condition, so that the simulation cannot be detected even by a skilled clinician.
Standardized patients are carefully coached to portray a specific patient. They learn a medical scenario describing a group of particular symptoms. In a patient exam room, they will portray this condition while a student interviews and examines them.
Standardized Patients will:
- Play the role of patients for medical students.
- Enable students to practice communication skills, history taking techniques and physical examination skills to prepare them to treat future patients.
- Help faculty evaluate medical students' performances.
How do patients know what to say and do?
A detailed description of a real medical case written by a doctor is used. The script includes details of the medical problem as well as information about the patient as a person.
What kind of cases will be portrayed?
Cases are written to teach and analyze interviewing and physical exam skills. Some cases emphasize emotional and behavioral problems such as depression or alcohol abuse. Other cases simulate physical problems such as chest pain or appendicitis. Patients will portray the same medical case several times, each time with a different student.
What is the patient's role in a physical exam session?
Standardized patients portray patients with normal or abnormal findings. The encounter does not require shots, blood tests or other invasive procedures. A video recording will begin as soon as the student enters the examination room. Exams will usually take 20 minutes. ALL sessions are confidential. After the exam, patients will evaluate the medical student.
What do current Standardized Patients think about their experience?
"I thought it sounded terrific when I first heard about it. It has been really good for me, and then I found it was doing good for someone else. It's great when you can do something good, enjoy it, and get paid for it."
What do students think of the program?
"My hat goes off to the people role playing as patients. They were great and their contribution to our medical education is greatly appreciated."
If you are interested in becoming a standardized patient click here to fill out your information.
