Prelicensure Simulation-Enhanced Interprofessional Education: A Critical Review of the Research Literature

This review explores the state of prelicensure interprofessional education (IPE) using simulation-based education (SBE) by examining studies that use SBE for prelicensure IPE through a critical review of the research literature. We focus particularly on studies that included experiential SBE with reported measures and formal IPE with prelicensure participants from at least 2 health care professions. Fifty-four studies met criteria. We explore these studies, providing a compilation of information (e.g., educational, simulation, and research methods used; outcome measures reported; and demographics of learner groups), identifying themes that may affect learning, as well as surfacing challenges and gaps in the field. The quality and rigor of the existing literature is inadequate to confidently determine factors that affect learning through simulation-enhanced IPE. We suggest that more rigorous research criteria be included in future studies and a list of reporting items be provided, where future publications can enhance knowledge to guide best practice in simulation-enhanced IPE.