The Syphilis Testing Result Interprofessional Counseling and Education (STRICE) simulation

The Syphilis Testing Result Interprofessional Counseling and Education simulation provides a scenario where students of a variety of health professions programs practice Interprofessional Education Collaborative domains while working with each other to communicate syphilis laboratory test results and counsel an anxious pregnant patient. The scenario allows learners to practice their respective roles, such as understanding and explaining laboratory results, gathering additional history from the patient, deliberating further diagnostic testing, and discussing risks and benefits of various treatment options. This simulation includes considerations for the impact of outcomes for the mother and baby, as well as socioeconomic and cultural factors that may affect the patient's decision-making. The activity consists of a pre-scenario briefing and interprofessional team plan development, followed by a standardized patient encounter and subsequent debriefing. The learners completed survey questions to assess changes in perceptions of interprofessional practice and education competencies before and after the session. After participation in the simulation activity, most participants reported an overall increase in competency domains.