Development of Distance Simulation Educator Guidelines in Healthcare: A Delphi Method Application

Area of Science:

• Healthcare Education
• Simulation Technology
• Distance Learning

Background:

• COVID-19 pandemic necessitated rapid shift from in-person to distance simulation in healthcare education.
• Lack of educator training in distance simulation created challenges for learners and educators.
• Need for standardized competencies for effective distance simulation instruction.

Purpose of the Study:

• To disseminate the first set of competencies for effective distance simulation educators.
• To establish consensus-based guidelines for remote healthcare simulation instruction.
• To address the unique requirements of teaching healthcare simulation at a distance.

Main Methods:

• Modified Delphi study involving global experts in healthcare simulation.
• Iterative validation of synthesized literature on distance simulation competencies.
• Experts rated competencies as 'Keep, Modify, or Delete' with a priori agreement level set.

Main Results:

• The Delphi process refined 66 competencies to 59.
• Basic subcompetencies reduced from 216 to 196.
• Advanced subcompetencies increased from 179 to 182.

Conclusions:

• This research presents the inaugural consensus guidelines for distance simulation educators in healthcare.
• These competencies provide a foundation for future research and development in distance simulation.
• The study highlights the evolving landscape of healthcare education delivery.