The Team Emergency Assessment Measure (TEAM) tool in virtual environments: A study of reliability and validity

Background Online simulation has gained recognition as a valuable educational approach for developing transversal skills among healthcare professionals, offering quality comparable to face-to-face simulations. The TEAM™ (Team Emergency Assessment Measure) tool assesses team performance in critical healthcare scenarios. While widely validated in traditional settings, its application in online simulation contexts remains unexplored. This study aims to validate the TEAM™ tool for its reliability and applicability in online simulation-based education for healthcare professionals. Methods Data collection included 902 TEAM™ assessments administered to healthcare professionals during online simulations between October 2020 and June 2023 as part of the study. Researchers performed reliability, internal consistency, and factor structure analyses to establish the tool's psychometric properties. Results The TEAM™ achieved an average score of 31.35 (SD = 7.603) out of 44, representing 71.25%. Cronbach's alpha indicated high internal consistency (0.914). Spearman's Rho interitem correlations ranged from 0.34 to 0.78, with a moderate overall correlation (0.498). Factor analysis confirmed construct validity, with a Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin value of 0.916. Two primary factors—leadership and teamwork—emerged. Conclusion The findings confirm the reliability and effectiveness of the TEAM™ in assessing healthcare team performance in online simulations. Demonstrating high internal consistency and strong construct validity, the study expands the tool's established validity from clinical and face-to-face training contexts to the online environment.