Athletic Training Student Reflections Regarding a Computer-Based Online Non-Orthopedic Patient Simulation Experience

Introduction: Simulation is commonly used in various formats in healthcare education to teach and evaluate knowledge and skills of students. However, there is limited to no literature in the application or perceptions of online simulations among athletic training programs. The purpose of this study was to explore athletic training students’ perceptions of an online simulation activity to determine if this type of simulation could be appropriately recommended as a means to effectively and efficiently expose students to patient types and circumstances that may not always be experienced by all students in real life. Methods: Individual in-person and video conference interviews were conducted with 15 professional Bachelor’s and professional Master’s degree athletic training students after they completed a semester of an online non-orthopedic patient simulation experience. Results: A thorough analysis of the interviews yielded the major themes of reflections (positive, negative, focus on grades), realism (history taking, improving SOAP notes, problem solving), facilitators (ability to practice, variety of patient scenarios), and barriers (wording of questions, technology issues, limited to specific settings, feedback, time to complete, and feedback). Conclusion: Athletic training students can benefit from completing online simulation activities concurrent with their clinical sequencing. These activities should be highly structured and targeted towards specific clinical learning outcomes. Strong scenario designs within online simulation activities may also give students the ability to practice skills and tasks that are limited in traditional clinical experiences.