Bias in simulation training for healthcare professions: a scoping review

Bias potentially affects simulation-based training (SBT) for healthcare professions. The role bias plays in SBT design, presentations, and in the experiences of learners should be understood. Dual process theory is a well-accepted framework for understanding types of bias. The authors performed a scoping review to map ‘bias’ in SBT of health professions in the literature. Search terms were developed for a query in the PubMed database. Researchers reviewed abstracts, met ten times to discuss which papers’ full texts to read, and then analysed and categorized the articles. Researchers used the Arksey and O’Malley framework for scoping reviews. Three thousand six hundred and twenty abstracts were identified by a detailed query in the PubMed database of which, 115 full-text articles were identified for inclusion. Articles published about bias in SBT cover a broad range of topics, from addressing how bias affects patient care, to bias in raters’ scoring of medical students on exams. Researchers found that the prevalence of articles on bias in SBT increased over time and focused primarily on implicit bias. Specific types of bias in some instances were difficult to identify, and several biases mentioned in papers were unique to this review. The results showed that many SBT methodologies (i.e. manikins, videos, etc.) were referenced in the papers. The type of simulation training most prevalent in the articles was simulated patient (SP) methodology. The results show that biases can be explored in any type of simulation method, indicating that simulationsists should be aware of bias in training during all types of training methodolgy.