Interprofessional perioperative simulation team training non-technical skill measurement and outcomes: a scoping review

Poor communication and teamwork contribute to preventable patient harm. Interprofessional high fidelity perioperative simulation allows participants to learn non-technical skills to improve patient safety. This scoping review identified the learning objectives, outcomes measured and evaluation tools for simulation-based education focused on non-technical skills delivered via interprofessional team training within the perioperative setting. A systematic search of MEDLINE, PsycINFO, ERIC, CINAHL, Web of Science, and ProQuest Dissertations and Theses Global was conducted in September 2024 using relevant keywords and corresponding MeSH terms. Articles were included if they involved interprofessional groups of perioperative simulation participants including surgery, anesthesia, and nursing (either in educational facilities and/or clinical settings) and focused on non-technical skills. Articles were independently assessed in title/abstract, full text, and extraction phases. From 3,595 identified publications, 27 studies were eligible from which 22 non-technical skills domains were identified and 44% of the studies utilized a validated instrument to evaluate non-technical skills. There remains limited adoption of validated tools that provide an objective appraisal of whole of team functioning. A compendium of non-technical skills domains and the development of team level appraisal instruments are recommended.