Association between cortisol levels and performance in clinical simulation: a systematic review.

Objective: To identify how stress measured by salivary cortisol during clinical simulation-based education, or simulation and another teaching method, impacts performance.

Method: Systematic review of the association between cortisol and performance in simulations. The following databases were used: PubMed, LIVIVO, Scopus, EMBASE, Latin American and Caribbean Health Sciences Literature (LILACS) and Web of Science. Additional searches of gray literature were carried out on Google Scholar and Proquest. The searches took place on March 20, 2023. The risk of bias of randomized clinical trials was assessed using the Cochrane Collaboration Risk of Bias Tool (RoB 2). Inclusion criteria were: simulation studies with salivary cortisol collection and performance evaluation, published in any period in Portuguese, English and Spanish.

Results: 11 studies were included which measured stress using salivary cortisol and were analyzed using descriptive synthesis and qualitative analysis.

Conclusion: Some studies have shown a relationship between stress and performance, which may be beneficial or harmful to the participant. However, other studies did not show this correlation, which may not have been due to methodological issues.