Introduction: Few experiences have been reported in simulation-based learning (SBL) in internal medicine.
Aim: To assess the SBL impact in internal medicine learning on learners' perception, knowledge acquisition, and cognitive and communication skills evaluation.
Methods: A prospective observational study conducted in the Simulation Center at the Faculty of Medicine of Monastir between November 2018 and March 2019. High fidelity sessions were intended for lupus flare diagnosis and a standardized patient session for therapeutic education of patients on antivitamin K treatment.
Results: A total of 118 third-year undergraduate medical learners split into 9 groups attended 9 SBL sessions. Regarding learners' perception, gain in communication was felt among 117 learners (99.1%) and gain in confidence among 116 of them (98.3%). As for SBL impact on knowledge acquisition, the overall median pre and post-test scores were 5.76 / 10 (4.61-6.92) and 7.69 / 10 (6.92-9.23) respectively (p = 10-3). The median overall improvement score was 2.3(0.76-3.07). Assessing learners' skills made it possible to highlight certain learners' shortcomings which we focused on during debriefing.
Conclusion: According to the current study, SBL was associated with a high level of learners' satisfaction and was effective in optimizing knowledge and communication in lupus flare diagnosis and antivitamin K management.