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N. Heneghan1, M.F.G. Radones1, Z. Gaylani1, K. Beeton1, A. Herbland1, K. Atkinson1, C. Minns Lowe1
1University of Hertfordshire, Department of Allied Health Professions, Midwifery and Social Work, Hatfield, United Kingdom
Background: Practice based learning (PBL) is a cornerstone of programmes leading to professional practice registration. With advances in educational technologies, an increasing number of allied health professions endorse the use of simulation-based learning (SBL) as a substitute and/or adjunct to practice education placements. Notwithstanding this, findings from a systematic review in 2013 (Mori et al., 2013) and the recommendation by the WHO (2013) for greater use of SBL in health professional education, adoption in physiotherapy pre-registration education has been notably slow, that is despite an unyielding shortage of practice placements.
Purpose: To explore SBL within physiotherapy pre-registration education.
Methods: A guideline informed scoping review was conducted and reported in line with PRISMA-ScR. Eligibility criteria was based on PCC where ‘p’ (population of interest) were students enrolled in a professional course, ‘c’ (concept of interest) SBL, ‘c’ (the context) undergraduate/preregistration education curriculum. Searching included: databases (inception to October 2021), grey literature, and key journals. Data extraction and charting included detailed reporting of study aims, year group, practice area, and specifically type, duration and approach to SBL. Three reviewers were involved in screening, selection, data extraction and charting data summaries.
Results: Searches yielded 60 studies, (n=30 published in full). The majority originated in Australia and USA, with most exploring different SBL approaches, acceptability of SBL, appropriateness for the development of student confidence, clinical reasoning and knowledge or skill acquisition, and safety. The majority of studies reported favourably on the use of SBL.
SBL approaches included student role-play, virtual wards, expert patients/actors or use of bespoke resources (e.g. age suit). The majority of studies used standardised patients (e.g. actors, senior students with scripts or patients themselves). Student role-play was explored, with benefits to both the model and therapist being noted (e.g. greater empathy). High fidelity simulation (e.g. SimMan, paediatric human patient simulators) was used in cardiorespiratory care or paediatrics. Virtual reality simulation was used in a small number of studies with examples across different specialities.
Areas of practice (i.e. cardiorespiratory), and improvement in knowledge/skill acquisition varied (i.e. cultural empathy, communication). Some studies investigated different curriculum/placement models (e.g. integrating SBL within traditional PBL blocks ora priori SBL to PBL). Notwithstanding a plethora of outcome measures reported, just the Assessment of Physiotherapy Practice tool was used more than once to evaluate SBL.
SBL approaches included student role-play, virtual wards, expert patients/actors or use of bespoke resources (e.g. age suit). The majority of studies used standardised patients (e.g. actors, senior students with scripts or patients themselves). Student role-play was explored, with benefits to both the model and therapist being noted (e.g. greater empathy). High fidelity simulation (e.g. SimMan, paediatric human patient simulators) was used in cardiorespiratory care or paediatrics. Virtual reality simulation was used in a small number of studies with examples across different specialities.
Areas of practice (i.e. cardiorespiratory), and improvement in knowledge/skill acquisition varied (i.e. cultural empathy, communication). Some studies investigated different curriculum/placement models (e.g. integrating SBL within traditional PBL blocks ora priori SBL to PBL). Notwithstanding a plethora of outcome measures reported, just the Assessment of Physiotherapy Practice tool was used more than once to evaluate SBL.
Conclusions: SBL offers considerable potential as an adjunct or substitute for traditional PBL. Findings reveal that pre-PBL SBL was positively received by all key stakeholders, with students exhibiting heighted levels of confidence and self-efficacy with University based SBL. Further research is required to investigate the effectiveness of SBL on patient-relevant management and outcomes as well as consensus studies to aid greater implementation of SBL in pre-registration physiotherapy education.
Implications: SBL offers considerable potential to aid preparation for professional practice with empirical evidence concluding acquisition of key knowledge, skills and appropriate attitudes. Notwithstanding a need for upskilling educators and re-designing the curriculum to encompass PBL, findings support a recommendation to include simulation hours within the required PBL hours in pre-registration physiotherapy education.
Funding acknowledgements: The UK Chartered Society of Physiotherapy.
Keywords:
Simulation
Practice-based learning
Pre-registration physiotherapy education
Simulation
Practice-based learning
Pre-registration physiotherapy education
Topics:
Education: methods of teaching & learning
Professional issues
Education
Education: methods of teaching & learning
Professional issues
Education
Did this work require ethics approval? Yes
Institution: University of Hertfordshire, UK
Committee: Health, Science, Engineering and Technology ECDA
Ethics number: HSK/SF/UH/04680
All authors, affiliations and abstracts have been published as submitted.
