Competency-based simulation effects are large for skills measured in the simulation lab but small and non-significant for clinical behaviors and patient outcomes¶

Claim · All claims
Evidence · 1 study · quant-synthesis r3 · q3 · i2 medium
Currency · newest study 2026 · not yet checked against its sources · not reviewed by a person

Subclaims¶

q3 i2 Skill outcomes in the simulation lab show large pooled effects (skill nontime SMD = 0.79; skill time SMD = 1.07). → Vermylen JH 2026 q3 i? Higher-level Kirkpatrick outcomes are small and not statistically significant: nontime behavior SMD = 0.46 (P = 0.26) and patient effect SMD = 0.21 (P = 0.43). → Vermylen JH 2026

Evidence¶

Vermylen JH 2026¶

Vermylen JH, Cohen ER, Cook DA, McGaghie WC, Issenberg SB, Arnold J, Ballard H, Bayoumi M, Beestrum M, Bremner R, Crawford S, Einstein N, Mannarino C, Misra A, Tomita TM, Waldron H, Yanko F, Kessler DO. (2026). Competency-Based Simulation Training for Procedural Skills: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. Simulation in Healthcare. https://doi.org/10.1097/SIH.0000000000000895

q3 · i2 · quant-synthesis · r3

Pooled analysis by Kirkpatrick outcome level across the 12 competency-versus-noncompetency studies. The review reports simulation-lab skill effects as large, while "The effects for higher-level Kirkpatrick outcomes, however, were small" and non-significant (behavior SMD = 0.46, P = 0.26; patient effect SMD = 0.21, P = 0.43).

"Skill outcomes measured in the simulation lab had large effect sizes: for (1) skill nontime pooled analysis SMD = 0.79 (95% CI = 0.22 to 1.36, P = 0.007) and (2) skill time pooled analysis SMD = 1.07 (95% CI = 0.81 to 1.33, P < 0.001)"

Discussion¶

Related Claims¶

• Competency-based simulation training outperforms noncompetency-based simulation for procedural skill outcomes in health professionals (moderate pooled effect) — a broader claim this one bears on
• Simulation Based Education Improves Outcomes — related
• Training-time ratio moderates the competency-based simulation advantage: large effects when competency training takes less time, non-significant when it takes more — related
• Simulation Based Education With Deliberate Practice Improves Clinical Outcomes — related
• Evidence on transfer to clinical behavior and patient outcomes is scarce: only 2 studies reached Kirkpatrick level 3 and 1 reached level 4 — related
• No included SDL studies measured Kirkpatrick Level 4 (patient/system) outcomes — related