The study explored a new way to help medical residents practice having conversations about weight management with patients. Residents watched five realistic patient scenarios and recorded how they would counsel the patient in each situation. These recordings were then reviewed by “analog patients”, everyday people who gave feedback on the residents’ communication skills. Later, the researchers interviewed residents and found that most thought the tool was easy to use, more engaging than lectures or role-play, and felt like real-life clinic situations, including handling patients from different backgrounds and levels of readiness to change their habits.

The residents reported that the feedback was practical and something they could actually use in real patient encounters. The video-based tool gave them a safe space to practice sensitive conversations they might rarely get to do in real life, helping them feel more prepared and confident. Overall, this approach seems like a promising, realistic way to train doctors to have patient-centered discussions about weight, a topic that is often tricky, personal, and emotionally charged.