Use of Health Care Simulation in Air Medical Settings: A Scoping Review

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Emergency Medical Services
• Simulation Technology

Background:

• Simulation-based training (SBT) is recognized as a valuable educational tool for high-risk professions.
• The application of SBT in air medicine is expanding, necessitating a review of current practices.
• Understanding existing SBT methods in air medical settings is crucial for future development.

Purpose of the Study:

• To conduct a scoping review of simulation-based training methods used for air medical professionals.
• To identify the types of simulation, training objectives, and assessment strategies employed in air medical education.

Main Methods:

• A systematic scoping review was performed following established guidelines (Arksey and O'Malley, PRISMA-ScR).
• Searches were conducted across five electronic databases, supplemented by gray literature and reference list screening.
• Studies utilizing simulation-based methods for training air medical personnel were included.

Main Results:

• Twenty-one studies were included, with scenario-based simulation (65.0%) and multimodal simulation (30.0%) being the most prevalent methods.
• Training typically focused on team development (50.0%) or clinical skill building (40.0%), often involving native or partial teams.
• Assessment primarily measured reactions (55.0%) and learning (45.0%), with limited evaluation of behavior or organizational impact.

Conclusions:

• Simulation-based training is a suitable method for air medical education and should be further integrated.
• Research is needed to define specific air medical training needs and develop effective, feasible simulation strategies.
• Adequate resources and support are essential for educators to develop and implement robust simulation programs.