The effectiveness of simulation in the acquisition of socioemotional skills related to health care: a systematic review of systematic reviews

Abstract

Aim: The objective of this SR of SR is to answer the question: Is simulation effective for the acquisition of socio-emotional skills related to health care? Background: Simulation has become a relevant methodology for the training of socioemotional skills; however, the effectiveness of this methodology is difficult to interpret due to the diversity of results obtained to date. Methods: Searches were conducted in Medline, Scopus, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library databases for systematic reviews with meta-analyses published from 2011 to 2022. The searches were completed between December 2021 and January 2022. Study quality was assessed using the AMSTAR-2 scale. The protocol was registered in PROSPERO (CRD42022339156). Results: A total of 1285 studies were examined, of which seven systematic reviews were selected, yielding 88 studies with 8658 participants. The most commonly used methodologies were standardized patient (28.4%) and high-fidelity simulation (26.1%). The training consisted of an average of 3.6 sessions, with a mean duration of 153.8 minutes. The most trained socioemotional skills were communication (34.4%), self-efficacy (30.5%), and self-confidence (13.3%). Most studies (78.4%) reported statistically significant results favorable to the intervention group in all skills trained. Conclusion: Simulation is an effective methodology for training a wide range of social and emotional competencies in students and health science professionals.