Using Simulation-based Team Training to Improve Psychological Safety and Relational Coordination as Well as Conducting a Process Evaluation

NCT07381270 | Active Not Recruiting

• 1 other identifier: InfecSIM
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 120
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

Simulation-based team training is increasingly used in hospitals to support teamwork and communication, particularly in situations that are complex or time-critical. While such training is known to improve observable team behaviours, less is known about how it is implemented in everyday clinical work and how it influences relational aspects of teamwork, such as psychological safety and relational coordination. This study explores the implementation and perceived impact of a simulation-based training programme focused on infectious disease management in a hospital department. Psychological safety refers to whether staff feel safe to speak up, ask questions, and express concerns, while relational coordination concerns how well different professional groups communicate, share goals, and align their work. Using a qualitative process and outcome evaluation, the study examines how the simulation activities were introduced, adapted, and experienced by different staff groups, and how participants perceived their influence on collaboration and professional behaviour. Data are collected through interviews with clinical staff and managers, questionnaires measuring psychological safety and relational coordination before and after the intervention, and systematic registration of simulation activities (including who participated, what was trained, and when and where simulations took place). By combining process evaluation with an exploration of perceived outcomes, the study aims to provide insight into how simulation-based team training functions as a behavioural intervention in complex clinical settings, and how it may support psychologically safe and well-coordinated teamwork in everyday practice.

Conditions

Medical Education, Simulation, Crisis Resource Management; Simulation Training; Simulation Based Medical Education; Culture

Keywords

Simulation-based team training; relational coordination; psychologically safety

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (2)

• Psychological safety

  Psychological safety will be assessed using the Team Psychological Safety scale (Edmondson). The scale consists of 7 items rated on a 1-7 Likert scale, with higher scores indicating greater psychological safety. The outcome will be reported as the mean questionnaire score. Qualitative interviews are not included in this outcome measure.

  Baseline and immediately after the intervention period.

• Relational coordination

  Relational coordination will be assessed using the Relational Coordination Survey (Gittell). Items are rated on a 1-5 scale, with higher scores indicating stronger relational coordination. The outcome will be reported as the mean questionnaire score. Qualitative interviews are not included in this outcome measure.

  Baseline and immediately after the intervention period.

Other Outcomes (2)

• Process evaluation

  From intervention start until immediately after the intervention period.

• Qualitative explanatory evaluation of intervention mechanisms

  Immediately after the intervention period.

Study Arms (2)

Simulation intervention

EXPERIMENTAL

Behavioral: Simulation-based team training

Control

NO INTERVENTION

Interventions

Simulation-based team training BEHAVIORAL

Staff participates in a simulation-based training initiative

Simulation intervention

Eligibility Criteria

• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Child (0-17), Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• Employed in the included departments
• Profession as a doctor or nurse

You may not qualify if:

• If participants are employed in both intervention and control group during the project period

Sponsors & Collaborators

• University of Aarhus: lead

Study Sites (1)

Department of Infectious Diseases, Aarhus University Hospital

Aarhus, 8200, Denmark

Location

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: NON RANDOMIZED
• Masking: NONE
• Purpose: HEALTH SERVICES RESEARCH
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: SPONSOR

Model Details: A controlled intervention study comparing two groups.

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: January 15, 2026
• First Posted: February 2, 2026
• Study Start: March 1, 2025
• Primary Completion (Estimated): September 1, 2026
• Study Completion (Estimated): January 1, 2028
• Last Updated: February 2, 2026

Record last verified: 2025-03

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

DK (1)