The impacts of high-fidelity and virtual reality simulation on the development of non-technical skills in healthcare students and professionals: protocol for a systematic review

Introduction Deficiencies in non-technical skills—including communication and leadership—are well-established causes of clinical errors in healthcare. Healthcare students and professionals increasingly use high-fidelity and virtual reality (VR) simulation to replicate clinical practice, through immersive and realistic scenarios in a risk-free teaching setting.

However, there is no up-to-date, high-quality synthesis of the effects of high-fidelity and VR simulation on non-technical skills for healthcare students and professionals. A systematic review and meta-analysis of this literature is required to enhance the current knowledge.

Methods This protocol has been reported according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Protocols (PRISMA-P) 2015 statement. We will include randomised trials and other controlled studies that report differences in non-technical skills between high-fidelity and VR simulation.

We will search MEDLINE, Scopus, EMBASE, ERIC and CINAHL, from database inception. We will also search reference lists and contact experts to identify additional studies.

Two independent reviewers will screen titles and abstracts, review full texts, and extract data. Discrepancies will be resolved through discussion, with a third reviewer if necessary.