Simulation of healthcare professional teams in infection prevention and control: A scoping review

Healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) are a major public health concern. Although interprofessional education (IPE) is recognized as a promising strategy, there is limited robust evidence demonstrating its effectiveness in reducing infection rates in healthcare settings.

To identify studies on interprofessional simulation for healthcare teams focused on infection prevention and control (IPC).

This scoping review followed the PRISMA-ScR checklist and was registered on the OSF platform (https://osf.io/bj6uc/). Six databases (MEDLINE, Embase, Web of Science, CINAHL, ERIC, Scopus) were searched, yielding 632 citations. After screening and applying exclusion criteria, 11 studies were included.

Among the selected studies, four (36.4%) originated from the United States. Five studies (45.5%) employed simulation practices based on evidence or expert consensus. Seven studies (63.6%) involved teams comprising three or more professional categories. All studies addressed infectious diseases requiring rapid response, mainly COVID-19 (55%) and Ebola (45%). Most (81.8%) used patient simulators. The most frequently addressed IPE competencies were teamwork (90.9%), roles and responsibilities (81.8%), and interprofessional communication (72.7%).

Findings indicate a reliance on expert-driven simulation practices and a concentration on emergency contexts. There is a lack of studies evaluating interprofessional simulation in routine care environments, such as primary health care and long-term care. Additionally, the absence of medium- and long-term outcome assessments limits our understanding of the sustained impact of interprofessional simulation on IPC. Further research is needed to support evidence-based implementation in diverse healthcare settings.