How to evaluate the quality of the clinical learning environment in health professions education? Protocol of a systematic review

Abstract

Background Internships can constitute up to one third of the curriculum and during these internships, the foundation for developing specific health professional competencies is formed. The clinical learning environment (CLE) is a critical determinant of the overall quality of internships in health profession education, shaping students’ professional competencies and experiences. Objective This systematic review aims to identify and categorize assessment tools available for evaluating the quality of the CLE in health professions education. Methods This in the International Database of Education Systematic Reviews preregistered systematic review [IDESR000098] will consider peer-reviewed articles in English where instruments are developed and validated to illustrate the quality of the CLE in higher education health professions students. The search strategy will encompass multiple electronic databases, including MEDLINE, EMBASE, the Cochrane Library, ERIC, Education Research Complete, Education Database, and CINAHL. Studies will be independently assessed for risk of bias using the COSMIN Risk of Bias checklist for systematic reviews of PROMs. We will summarize and tabulate the basic characteristics of each identified tool and via a comprehensive table we will summarize the reported psychometric properties. Discussion This systematic review protocol will outline a comprehensive approach to identifying and evaluating assessment tools for measuring the quality of the CLE in health profession students. It is assumed that the findings will offer several notable advantages and impacts, which could significantly influence the quality of clinical education for health profession students.