Effectiveness of Simulation-Based Training with Patients with Intellectual Disabilities on Students’ Attitudes, Inclusive Health Practices, and Empathy

AI Summary

Simulation involving expert patients significantly improves students' affective and behavioural attitudes, inclusive health practices, and empathy towards intellectual disability.
Improvements persisted at six weeks for attitudes and inclusive practices, but empathy gains were not maintained.
Students reported high satisfaction, increased comfort and confidence, and valued direct involvement of people with intellectual disabilities.

TL;DR (AI Generated)

OBJECTIVE: This study evaluates the effectiveness of a simulation-based intervention involving real expert patients with mild to moderate intellectual disabilities on students' relational and communication practices, immediately after the intervention and at six-week follow-up.

Compared with the control group, the intervention group showed significant improvements in affective and behavioural attitudes, representations and practices in inclusive health, and empathy towards intellectual disability.

CONCLUSION: Simulation-based education involving expert patients improves students' self-reported attitudes toward individuals with intellectual disabilities, empathy, and inclusive healthcare practices.

Basic summary

Med Sci Educ. 2026 Aug 17;36(6):2931-2944. doi: 10.1007/s40670-026-02858-6. eCollection 2026 Dec.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Medical and nursing students often feel insufficiently prepared to care for individuals with intellectual disabilities. Simulation-based education represents an innovative approach by enabling direct contact in a safe learning environment with patient-centred feedback.

OBJECTIVE: This study evaluates the effectiveness of a simulation-based intervention involving real expert patients with mild to moderate intellectual disabilities on students’ relational and communication practices, immediately after the intervention and at six-week follow-up. Students’ satisfaction was also assessed.

METHOD: A quasi-experimental study was conducted with 115 medical and nursing students assigned to either an experimental or waitlist control group. The experimental group participated in a simulation session involving an expert patient with intellectual disability. Measures of attitudes, empathy, and representations and practices in inclusive health were collected pre- and post-intervention. The experimental group also completed a satisfaction questionnaire and a 6-week follow-up survey.

RESULTS: Fifty-eight students participated in the intervention and 57 formed the control group. Among the experimental group, 43 completed the follow-up. Compared with the control group, the intervention group showed significant improvements in affective and behavioural attitudes, representations and practices in inclusive health, and empathy towards intellectual disability. These effects were maintained at six weeks except for empathy. Students also reported increased comfort and confidence. Satisfaction with the intervention was high, and students highlighted the value of involving individuals with intellectual disabilities in the simulation.

CONCLUSION: Simulation-based education involving expert patients improves students’ self-reported attitudes toward individuals with intellectual disabilities, empathy, and inclusive healthcare practices. It represents a promising approach to promote more inclusive and patient-centred healthcare.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at https://doi.org/10.1007/s40670-026-02858-6.

PMID:43031767 | PMC:PMC13759873 | DOI:10.1007/s40670-026-02858-6

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