Pandemic Preparedness at Wexham Park Hospital, 2025-2026

This dataset contains quantitative and qualitative data collected as part of an educational evaluation of two approaches to teaching infectious disease outbreak management to undergraduate medical students. The population comprises MBBS students from multiple UK medical schools who were undertaking clinical placements at a district general hospital during the study period. Participants attended either a simulation-based outbreak teaching session or a didactic teaching session covering the same curricular topics. The simulation involved five fictional outbreak scenarios based on high-consequence pathogens and required students to engage with clinical information, epidemiological data, and public health decision-making tasks. The didactic session was delivered prior to implementation of the simulation and represented the standard teaching format used at the time. Quantitative data include retrospective ratings of perceived confidence before and after the teaching session, measured using a 10-point Likert scale. Confidence outcomes relate to the management of infectious disease outbreaks and the selection of appropriate antimicrobial therapy. Qualitative data consist of brief written reflections and summary themes derived from facilitated debriefing discussions. The dataset has been fully anonymised and contains no direct or indirect identifiers. It is intended to support transparency, secondary analysis, and reuse in educational research examining simulation-based learning, outbreak preparedness, and undergraduate medical education.

Background Recent infectious disease outbreaks have underscored the importance of preparing future doctors to respond to complex public health emergencies. However, undergraduate medical training often prioritises individual clinical decision-making, with fewer opportunities for students to engage with outbreak response as a system-level challenge involving epidemiology, public health coordination, and policy considerations. Educational approaches that allow students to practise these skills in realistic contexts remain limited. Aim This study aimed to evaluate the educational impact of a simulation-based outbreak programme designed to support undergraduate medical students’ confidence and understanding of infectious disease outbreak management, compared with a traditional didactic teaching approach. Methods A mixed-methods educational evaluation was conducted among undergraduate medical students from four UK medical schools during clinical placements at a district general hospital. Students participated either in a structured outbreak simulation (n = 61) or in a previously established didactic teaching session covering the same curricular content (n = 20). The simulation involved five evolving outbreak scenarios based on high-consequence pathogens and required students to assume different professional roles while interpreting clinical information, epidemiological data, and public health constraints. Self-reported confidence was measured using a retrospective post–then–pre questionnaire on a 10-point Likert scale. Qualitative data were collected through written reflections and facilitated debriefing.