Current Trends in the Use of Simulation in OT Programs

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study is to identify the current trend for the development and use of simulation in occupational therapy (OT) programs.

DESIGN: A nationwide 18-question survey was sent to faculty members of master’s and doctoral programs. This quantitative research was approved by the researcher’s Institutional Review Board Participants were solicited via email and CommunOT. Faculty email addresses were gathered from program websites listed under the School Directory section of the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education.

METHOD: An 18-question self-developed survey was given in Qualtrics to gather information. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the data.

RESULTS/CONCLUSION: This study is currently in process; therefore, data and analysis are preliminary. The survey will close on 7/2/23. The number of solicitation emails sent was 1,760, and 76 individuals have consented and completed the survey to date. Private school faculty comprised 52.6% of the participants, and public school faculty comprised 47.4%. A high percentage (90.8%) of those responding report the use of simulation in their course. The simulation used represents the populations of adults (29.2%), pediatrics (17.2%), geriatrics (26.4%), mental health (18.8%), health/wellness (6.8%), and other (1.6%). When participants reflected on the focus of the simulation, over half of the simulations required students to demonstrate clinical reasoning in 62.4% of the experiences, skills competencies in 50.7%, and professional skills in 65.8%. Fifty percent of those responding offer five to eight simulated experiences during a cohort’s time in the program, and 32% offer nine or more simulated experiences. Scaffolding of the simulated experiences was reported in 75.7% of the responses, and a high percentage (82.7%) reported collaboration among faculty to support the scaffolding process. Additional statistical data and correlations will be explored when the survey is closed.

References

Chernikova, O., Heitzmann, N., Stadler, M., Holzberger, D., Seidel, T., & Fischer, F. (2020). Simulation-based learning in higher education: A meta-analysis. Review of Educational Research, 90(4), 499–541. https://doi.org/10.3102/0034654320933544

Grant, T., Thomas, Y., Gossman, P., & Berragan, L. (2021). The use of simulation in occupational therapy education: A scoping review. Australian Occupational Therapy Journal, 68(4), 1-12 345–356. https://doi.org/10.1111/1440-1630.12726

Layne, K., McGee, E., Frank, E., & Petrocelli, T. (2021). Simulation scaffolding in occupational therapy curriculum: Development & implementation. Journal of Higher Education Theory and Practice, 21(2), 89–97. https://doi.org/10.33423/jhetp.v21i2.4120

Sakemiller, L. M., & Toth-Cohen, S. (2020). Standardized patient encounter: An innovative curricular design to enhance fieldwork readiness. Journal of Occupational Therapy Education, 4(4), 1–17. https://doi.org/10.26681/jote.2020.040415