The use of simulated patients (SiPs) and standardised patients (SPs) in the education, training and assessment of healthcare practitioners has been recognised for over 50 years, though there are various descriptions of the roles played by individuals during simulated healthcare encounters. A SiP is someone who simulates the signs and symptoms of an actual patient. An SP is a specific type of SiP who has been trained to complete a checklist that allows an assessment of the examination.