Fostering Healthy Work Environments Through Interprofessional Simulation: Teamwork, Communication, Psychological...

Area of Science:

• Healthcare Education
• Interprofessional Collaboration
• Simulation-Based Learning

Background:

• Effective teamwork and communication are crucial for patient safety and quality of care.
• Interprofessional education (IPSE) aims to prepare healthcare professionals to work collaboratively.
• Simulation offers a safe environment to practice interprofessional skills.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically evaluate the impact of simulation-based interprofessional education (IPSE) interventions.
• To assess outcomes related to teamwork, communication, and psychological safety.
• To provide evidence for educators and policymakers on advancing interprofessional collaboration.

Main Methods:

• Systematic review of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and quasi-experimental studies published between 2010 and 2025.
• Searches conducted across major databases (PubMed, CINAHL, Scopus, Web of Science, Cochrane CENTRAL) with manual tracking.
• Risk of bias assessed using RoB 2 for RCTs and ROBINS-I for quasi-experimental studies.

Main Results:

• Thirty studies from 16 countries were included, reporting positive effects on teamwork (coordination, role clarity) and communication (information exchange, structured behaviors).
• Psychological safety outcomes showed improvements in self-confidence, leadership, and safety climate, with mixed findings on stress and workload.
• RCTs were generally robust, and quasi-experimental studies had low to moderate risk of bias.

Conclusions:

• Simulation-based interprofessional training effectively enhances teamwork, communication, and psychological safety.
• IPSE contributes to a healthier work environment and can strengthen interprofessional collaboration.
• Integration of IPSE into health curricula and clinical training is recommended for improved patient care.