Effects of High-Fidelity Simulation-Based Learning on Physical Therapy Student Learning and Performance: A Systematic Review.

High-fidelity Simulation-Based Learning (SBL) has emerged as an innovative teaching practice that fosters integration of knowledge, skills, and abilities in a life-like scenario. The purpose of our review was to systematically investigate the objective effects of high-fidelity SBL on physical therapy (PT) student learning and performance. A systematic literature search was conducted in EBSCO, PubMed, and ProQuest. Study quality was assessed using the Medical Education Research Study Quality Instrument (MERSQI). Ten studies met the inclusion criteria and were included in the review. Four objective outcome measures were used to evaluate student performance: 1. Assessment of Physiotherapy Practice; 2. Physical Therapist Clinical Performance Instrument 2.0; 3. Objective Structured Clinical Examination; 4. Mini-Clinical Evaluation Exercises (Mini-CEX). Five studies found significant improvement in student performance (average of 12-13 simulation-based learning experiences), and 5 studies found no change in student performance (average of 6-7 simulation-based learning experiences). All included studies were of acceptable quality and scored 11.5 or higher on the MERSQI. The results of our systematic review suggest that SBL is as effective as traditional education practices at improving PT student clinical learning and performance. Considering SBL has demonstrated qualitative benefits in previous comparative studies, it may be beneficial to incorporate SBL into the Doctor of Physical Therapy curriculum. Evidence suggests that a higher frequency of participation in SBL leads to improved clinical performance. More research is needed to investigate the frequency of SBL required to improve PT student learning and performance.