Simulation-based medical education in Thailand: a cross-sectional online national survey

Background: Simulation-Based Medical Education (SBME) is a teaching method commonly used in undergraduate medical education. Although Thai medical schools have developed a system that incorporates SBME, various aspects of that system require improvement. We surveyed medical school administrators, instructors, and students about SBME in their institutions and the obstacles involved in its implementation, as well as their experiences, expectations, and attitudes regarding the current system. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional online survey between August 2019 and July 2020 among administrators, instructors, and 6th-year medical students. A structured questionnaire was developed and distributed to volunteers as an online survey. We recorded details about the SBME system as well as participant characteristics, obstacles, experiences, expectations, and attitudes. We used descriptive statistics as appropriate. Results: We received responses from 15 (68.2%) administrators, 186 instructors, and 371 (13.7%) sixth-year medical students. SBME was commonly used in teaching and evaluation but less so in research. It was mainly used to improve psychomotor tasks, knowledge, patient care, and communication skills. The expected outcomes were improvements in students' performance, knowledge, and practice. The clinical courses were longer and had fewer participants than the pre-clinical courses. Obstacles encountered included shortages of faculty and simulators, time and space limitations, inadequate faculty training, and insufficient financial support. The administrators surveyed had positive attitudes toward SBME. Medical students reported having experience with SBME and strongly agreed that it was beneficial; however, they expected fewer students per class and more learning time to be devoted to these methods. Conclusions: SBME in Thailand is focused on teaching and assessment. The system could be improved through better-trained faculty, greater available space, more simulators, and sufficient funding. There were also some aspects that failed to meet students' expectations and need to be addressed. However, participants expressed positive attitudes toward SBME.

Automated summary

This study surveyed the implementation of SBME in Thai medical schools and identified obstacles, as well as the experiences, expectations, and attitudes of administrators, instructors, and students regarding the current system. The findings showed that SBME was commonly used in teaching and evaluation, but was less utilized in research. Participants believed that SBME improved students' performance, knowledge, and practice. However, there were obstacles such as shortages of faculty and simulators, time and space limitations, inadequate faculty training, and insufficient financial support. Despite these challenges, participants expressed positive attitudes toward SBME.