Building LINKS: a multimodal evaluation of a single simulation-based interprofessional workshop for undergraduate healthcare students

This study evaluated the impact of the LINKS (Lifting INterprofessional Knowledge through Simulation) workshop - a single-session, simulation-based interprofessional education intervention - on final-year medical and nursing students, in Portugal. The workshop combined co-designed clinical scenarios and interprofessional debriefing to promote teamwork skills. A quasi-experimental pre-post design was used, employing both self-assessment with the Interprofessional Education Collaborative (IPEC) survey and observer-rated assessment of team performance based on video-recorded scenarios. Forty-three students participated, forming 14 interprofessional teams. Results showed statistically significant improvements in self-perceived interprofessional competencies across both IPEC domains (interaction and values) and in overall scores, with convergence observed between professional groups post-intervention. Objective assessment of teams' performance revealed statistically significant gains in situation awareness, interaction/cooperation, and communication, with a positive trend in leadership that did not reach significance. These findings align with multiple levels of Kirkpatrick's educational outcomes model, demonstrating changes in attitudes (Level 2A), observable skills (Level 2B), and team behavior (Level 3). The study highlights that even a single, well-structured IPE session can produce meaningful improvements in interprofessional collaboration. These findings support the integration of simulation-based IPE into undergraduate curricula and highlight the value of multimodal evaluation for capturing meaningful educational outcomes.