Is clinical simulation an effective learning tool in teaching clinical ethics?

In the teaching of clinical ethics, many traditional methods have been used that aim to develop competencies in the face of ethical challenges. Situations that can be reproduced in a standardized way through clinical simulation can be presented and evaluated in the training process of health professionals; however, its use requires evidence of effectiveness.

To identify and synthesize the available evidence on the effectiveness of teaching clinical ethics using simulation as a learning tool.

We conducted a bibliographic review, with searches in PubMed, LILACS and Cochrane databases using English and Spanish: "Ethics, Clinical/education" [Mesh]) AND "Simulation Training" [Mesh], without methodological filters, published from inception of each database until July 2019, without language, geographical or temporal restrictions. We considered as a primary outcome the identification, resolution or reflection on ethical problems.

One hundred sixteen studies were retrieved. Fifteen studies met the selection criteria. Narrative reviews and opinion articles were excluded. The population to whom the intervention was applied were mainly students in nursing, medicine, and dentistry. A study in a multidisciplinary ethics committee was also included. The intervention was the use of the simulation technique with a standardized patient. Only two studies compared with traditional methods. Sixty percent considered the intervention to have favorable results on the primary outcome.

To date, there are few studies with very low quality of evidence that evaluate the effectiveness of clinical simulation in teaching clinical ethics. The studies found that, in the short term, this methodology allows participants to identify, solve or reflect on ethical problems by using standardized patients and it seems to be advisable to incorporate simulation techniques as part of the teaching and evaluation curriculum of clinical ethics, to the extent that resources are available.