Abstract
BACKGROUND: Simulation-based medical education (SBME) is a critical tool for teaching and assessing technical and non-technical medical skills. Healthcare simulation centers (HSCs) are multidisciplinary centers that are proliferating in number and provide simulation-based medical education to various groups of trainees, including medical students, residents, healthcare professionals, and nurses. Large investments in the physical space, simulation hardware, and expert human resources are required to set up HSCs. However, most published research on simulation training has focused on the content and evaluation of the training. The evaluation of HSCs has rarely been discussed. This study aimed to identify the most appropriate aspects for the evaluation of HSCs using the Delphi technique and to develop an evaluation model in China. METHODS: Thirty simulation centers were identified as potential participants. The first round of the Delphi process was a brainstorming exercise. The initial questionnaire contained one main question: What aspects do you think should be included in the evaluation of HSCs? The steering group reviewed the responses received from participants in the first round of the Delphi, removed duplicates, and organized the items into different categories. Responses from the second round of the Delphi method were analyzed and presented as frequencies and percentages. The consensus level was set at 70%. If this goal was not achieved, the participants were asked to participate in a third round of the Delphi exercise. RESULTS: Twenty-four experts (the heads of HSCs) completed the first round of Delphi. The response rate was 80%. In the first round, 106 items were suggested. After verifying the content and removing duplicates, 45 items were left. The model for the evaluation of the HSCs was named “STRIVE,” reflecting a combination of the initial of each of the six involved categories: simulation curricula, training of faculty, result of training, internal resources, variety of activities, effect of activities. The response rate was 100% in the second round. The STRIVE model identified the 24 most frequently mentioned items across six categories. CONCLUSION: The STRIVE model can help HSCs managers understand and evaluate their centers more comprehensively. It can also help them address their shortcomings. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12909-025-08332-y.