Kirkpatrick's Evaluation of Simulation and Debriefing in Health Care Education: A Systematic Review

Background: Simulation is an integral component of health care education. Research suggests a positive relationship between simulation and learning outcomes. Kirkpatrick's framework is a four-level model based on the premise that learning resulting from training programs can be classified into four levels: reaction, learning, behavior, and results. Evaluation of educational impact provides valuable feedback to educators that may assist with development and improvement of teaching methods. Method: This review is based on the PRISMA guidelines for conducting a systematic review. Inclusion criteria included articles (a) written in the English language, (b) published between 2000 and 2016, (c) describing a debriefing intervention after high-fidelity patient simulation, and (d) based in health care. Results: Thirteen studies met criteria for inclusion in the review. Conclusion: Results indicated a paucity of studies at the highest levels of evaluation, indicating an area where future research is needed to assist with the development and improvement of simulation education.