Nothing about me without me: a scoping review of how illness experiences inform simulated participants' encounters in health profession education

Linda Ní Chianáin; Richard Fallis; Jenny Johnston; Nancy McNaughton; Gerard Gormley

doi:10.1136/bmjstel-2021-000886

Nothing about me without me: a scoping review of how illness experiences inform simulated participants' encounters in health profession education

BMJ Simul Technol Enhanc Learn. 2021 Jun 17;7(6):611-616. doi: 10.1136/bmjstel-2021-000886. eCollection 2021.

Authors

Linda Ní Chianáin¹, Richard Fallis², Jenny Johnston¹, Nancy McNaughton^{3

4}, Gerard Gormley¹

Affiliations

¹ Centre for Medical Education, School of Medicine Dentistry and Biomedical Sciences, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, UK.
² Medical Library, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, UK.
³ The Wilson Centre for Research in Education, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
⁴ University Health Network Education Scholar, Michener Institute of Education at UHN, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Abstract

Background: Person-centred simulation in health professions education requires involvement of the person with illness experience.

Objective: To investigated how real illness experiences inform simulated participants' (SP) portrayals in simulation education using a scoping review to map literature.

Study selection: Arksey and O'Malley's framework was used to search, select, chart and analyse data with the assistance of personal and public involvement. MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL, Scopus and Web of Science databases were searched. A final consultation exercise was conducted using results.

Findings: 37 articles were within scope. Reporting and training of SPs are inconsistent. SPs were actors, volunteers or the person with the illness experience. Real illness experience was commonly drawn on in communication interactions. People with illness experience could be directly involved in various ways, such as through conversation with an SP, or indirectly, such as a recording of heart sounds. The impact on the learner was rarely considered.

Conclusion: Authentic illness experiences help create meaningful person-centred simulation education. Patients and SPs may both require support when sharing or portraying illness experience. Patients' voices profoundly enrich the educational contributions made by SPs.

Keywords: patient involvement; simulated patient; simulation-based education.