Simulation-based training for continuing professional development within a primary care context: a systematic review.

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Healthcare Professional Development
• Primary Care Practice

Background:

• Primary care faces increasing task complexity, necessitating specialized education.
• Simulation-based training (SBT) is established in hospitals but its primary care application is under-researched.
• This review identifies SBT approaches for primary care continuing professional development and evaluates their effectiveness.

Approach:

• Systematic review of Medline, Embase, CINAHL, and Web of Science databases.
• Inclusion criteria: studies evaluating SBT for qualified primary care professionals.
• Quality assessment using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool and narrative synthesis.

Key Points:

• 49 studies involving 4,601 primary care professionals were analyzed.
• Common SBT methods include standardized patients (21 studies), role-play (14), and virtual simulations (6).
• SBT positively impacts knowledge, skills, and attitudes, though study quality varies.

Conclusions:

• Simulation-based training is an accepted and effective educational method in primary care.
• Standardized patients are the most frequently utilized SBT approach.
• Future research should focus on organizational and patient-level outcomes of SBT.