Undergraduate medical students. Simulation-based activity to conduct the informed consent process for health research studies

Training through medical simulation allows for continuous learning under controlled conditions. Simulation-based training activities can be used simultaneously with other educational strategies to strengthen the attitudinal skills needed to develop an informed consent process in the context of health research. To facilitate learning in undergraduate medicine students, and to evaluate their competences to carry out an informed consent process in a scenario that resembles reality. In this semi-longitudinal study, a simulation-based activity was conducted with 136 medical students of the fourth (Group A) and fifth year (Group B) of the Marist University of Mérida, in southern Mexico. The mean score for both groups was 72.48±1.05 (95% CI=70.4–74.5); 86.2±0.96 (95% CI=84.2–88.0); and 77.7±0.72 (95% CI=76.3–79.1), in the pre-test, the simulation and the post-test, respectively. The students of group A self-evaluated their performance with 3.93/5.00, and those of Group B, 4.04/5.00. This study showed that Group A students did not score lower on simulation-based activity when compared to students in Group B, suggesting that before the fifth year of undergraduate medical education, students could properly develop an informed consent-process for health research if they receive early education about medical ethics and research bioethics. Issues related to bioethics in human health research can be included as soon as medical students initiate research methodology courses. La capacitación mediante la simulación médica permite un aprendizaje continuo bajo condiciones controladas. Las actividades de capacitación basadas en simulación se pueden utilizar simultáneamente con otras estrategias educativas para fortalecer las habilidades actitudinales que se necesitan para desarrollar un proceso de consentimiento informado en el contexto de la investigación en salud. Facilitar un aprendizaje en estudiantes de medicina de pregrado y evaluar sus competencias para llevar a cabo un proceso de consentimiento informado en un escenario que semeje la realidad. En este estudio semilongitudinal desarrollamos una actividad basada en simulación con 136 estudiantes de medicina de cuarto (grupo A) y quinto año (grupo B) de la Universidad Marista de Mérida, al sur de México. El puntaje promedio para ambos grupos fue 72,48±1,05 (IC 95%=70,4-74,5); 86,2±0,96 (IC 95%=84,2-88,0), y 77,7±0 72 (IC 95%=76,3-79,1) en el pre-test, la simulación y el pos-test, respectivamente. Los estudiantes del grup