Distance Learning During COVID-19 Mitigates Learning Loss for Interprofessional Education

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Healthcare Simulation
• Digital Learning

Background:

• On-site interprofessional education (IPE) simulation is a standard method for teaching teamwork, communication, and crisis management skills.
• Virtual IPE simulation has traditionally supplemented on-site IPE.
• The COVID-19 pandemic necessitated alternative IPE delivery methods due to social distancing.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of virtual IPE (VI) as a sole simulation method during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• To compare learning outcomes between virtual and on-site IPE.
• To explore the potential of VI as a scalable remote learning modality.

Main Methods:

• Virtual IPE simulation was implemented as the primary method for delivering IPE.
• Learning outcomes were assessed and compared to those typically achieved through on-site IPE.
• The study considered the constraints imposed by social distancing during the pandemic.

Main Results:

• Virtual IPE simulation substantially achieved similar learning outcomes to on-site IPE.
• VI proved to be a viable alternative when social distancing was a constraint.
• The scalability and cost-effectiveness of VI were noted.

Conclusions:

• Virtual IPE simulation can be an effective remote learning modality for achieving key educational objectives.
• VI offers comparable learning outcomes to traditional on-site methods.
• VI presents advantages in terms of cost and scalability for interprofessional education.