Simulated interprofessional education: an analysis of teaching and learning processes

Area of Science:

• Health Professions Education
• Interprofessional Education (IPE)
• Simulation-Based Learning

Background:

• Simulated learning activities, particularly role-play simulations, are increasingly adopted in health professions and IPE programs.
• Despite widespread use, empirical evidence on the embedded teaching and learning processes in IPE role-play simulations is limited.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the nature of teaching and learning processes within interprofessional role-play simulations.
• To identify key themes influencing the effectiveness of these simulated learning experiences.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative exploratory study involving 152 clinicians, 101 students, and 9 facilitators across various health professions.
• Analysis of video-recorded role-plays and debrief sessions.
• Three focus groups conducted with a subset of participants to gather perceptions of their educational experiences.

Main Results:

• Five key themes emerged from data analysis: enthusiasm and motivation, professional role assignment, scenario realism, facilitator style and background, and team facilitation.
• These themes provide insight into the dynamics of teaching and learning in interprofessional simulated environments.

Conclusions:

• Program developers must consider these five themes when implementing role-play simulations in interprofessional contexts.
• Deliberate and skilled facilitation is critical for achieving desired learning outcomes in IPE simulations.