Advances in simulation (London, England)最新文献

Background: In adapting to COVID-19, many health professional training programs moved abruptly from in-person to online simulated patient interviews for teaching and evaluation without the benefit of evidence regarding the efficacy of this mode of delivery. This paper reports on a multi-methods research project comparing in-person and online simulated patient interviews conducted by allied health professionals as part of an educational intervention offered at a large university teaching hospital.

Methods: Twenty-three participants conducted two 15-min interviews with simulated patients using previously validated scenarios of patients presenting with suicide risk. In order to assess the equivalency of the two modalities, physiological and psychological stress were measured using heart rate variability parameters and the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory respectively, and then were compared across cohorts using t-tests. Reflective interviews elicited qualitative impressions of the simulations that were subject to thematic qualitative analysis.

Results: There were no statistical differences in measures of psychological stress or physiological arousal of participant health care professionals who engaged with in-person versus online simulated interviews, suggesting they were equally effective in eliciting reactions commonly found in challenging clinical situations. In reflective interviews, participants commented on the realism of both modalities of simulated patient encounters and that simulated interviews provoked emotional and physiological responses consistent with actual patient encounters.

Conclusions: These findings provide developing evidence that carefully designed online clinical simulations can be a useful tool for the education and assessment of healthcare professionals.

Transgender and nonbinary patients face unique healthcare challenges, such as harassment, discrimination, and/or prejudice, at higher rates than their cisgender counterparts. These experiences, or even the fear of these experiences, may push patients to delay or forego medical treatment, thus compounding any existing conditions. Such extraneous issues can be combatted through cultural sensitivity. The authors designed blended education consisting of an online module followed by a live simulation to educate and promote sensitivity. Internal medicine (IM) residents (n = 94) completed the module, which introduced them to transgender community terminology and medical disparities, and ways to incorporate affirming behaviors into their practice. Afterward, they engaged in a simulation with true transgender-simulated patients (SPs) - either trans-masculine, trans-feminine, or non-binary. Residents were expected to conduct a patient interview mirroring an intake appointment. Residents then engaged in a debriefing session with the lead investigator and the SP to reflect on the experience, receive feedback and constructive criticism, and ask questions. After the education, the residents' knowledge significantly increased, t(66) = 3.69, p ≤ 0.00, d = 0.45, and their attitude toward members of the transgender community also increased significantly, t(62) = 7.57, p ≤ 0.00, d = 0.95. Furthermore, nearly all residents (99%) reported the training allowed them to practice relevant skills and was a worthy investment of their time. Nearly half (45%) of the residents who listed changes they will make to their practice pledged to ask patients for their preferred name and pronouns. Most comments were positive (75%), praising the education's effectiveness, expressing gratitude, and reporting increased confidence. Results provided evidence that the education was effective in increasing IM residents' knowledge and attitudes. Further research is needed to investigate the longitudinal effects of this education and to extend the education to a broader audience. The investigators plan to adapt and expand the research to other specialties such as gynecology and emergency medicine.

Background: Ischaemic strokes are medical emergencies, and reperfusion treatment, most commonly intravenous thrombolysis, is time-critical. Thrombolysis administration relies on well-organised pathways of care with highly skilled and efficient clinicians. Simulation training is a widespread teaching modality, but results from studies on the impact of this intervention have yet to be synthesised. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to synthesise the evidence and provide a recommendation regarding the effects of simulation training for healthcare professionals on door-to-needle time in the emergency thrombolysis of patients with ischaemic stroke.

Methods: Seven electronic databases were systematically searched (last updated 12th July 2023) for eligible full-text articles and conference abstracts. Results were screened for relevance by two independent reviewers. The primary outcome was door-to-needle time for recombinant tissue plasminogen activator administration in emergency patients with ischaemic stroke. The secondary outcomes were learner-centred, improvements in knowledge and communication, self-perceived usefulness of training, and feeling 'safe' in thrombolysis-related decision-making. Data were extracted, risk of study bias assessed, and analysis was performed using RevMan™ software (Web version 5.6.0, The Cochrane Collaboration). The quality of the evidence was assessed using the Medical Education Research Study Quality Instrument.

Results: Eleven studies were included in the meta-analysis and nineteen in the qualitative synthesis (n = 20,189 total patients). There were statistically significant effects of simulation training in reducing door-to-needle time; mean difference of 15 min [95% confidence intervals (CI) 8 to 21 min]; in improving healthcare professionals' acute stroke care knowledge; risk ratio (RR) 0.42 (95% CI 0.30 to 0.60); and in feeling 'safe' in thrombolysis-related decision-making; RR 0.46 (95% CI 0.36 to 0.59). Furthermore, simulation training improved healthcare professionals' communication and was self-perceived as useful training.

Conclusion: This meta-analysis showed that simulation training improves door-to-needle times for the delivery of thrombolysis in ischaemic stroke. However, results should be interpreted with caution due to the heterogeneity of the included studies.

Background: Simulation-based education (SBE) affords learners opportunities to develop communication skills, including those related to pediatrics. Feedback is an integral part of SBE, and while much research into feedback from multiple sources exists, the findings are mixed. The aim of this comparative study was to replicate some of this work in a novel area, pediatric medical education, to better understand how multisource feedback (self, educator, and simulated parent) may inform learning and curriculum design.

Methods: During their pediatric rotation, medical students participated in a consultation with a simulated parent, engaged in video-assisted self-reflection, and received feedback from both an educator and the simulated parent through an e-learning platform. The Pediatric Consultation Skills Assessment Tool (PCAT) was used for self-assessment and educator feedback, and the Consultation and Relational Empathy (CARE) measure was used for simulated parent feedback.

Results: Our results showed that high-performing students underrated their performance, and low-performing students overrated their performance. Feedback from multiple sources helps to identify both areas of weakness in student performance and areas of weakness in student self-appraisal. Overall, general areas of weakness identified for the learners related to making contingency plans and providing easy-to-understand explanations for simulated parents. Some simulated parent feedback did not align with educator and student ratings, highlighting the value of including the simulated parent perspective. Our findings question whether a third party can reliably judge the simulated parent's level of understanding.

Conclusion: Multisource feedback allows students to develop layered insights into their performance and supports self-appraisal. Aggregating feedback through an e-learning platform allows educators to gain greater insights into the strengths and weakness of students and design a more tailored teaching plan to support student needs.

Background: Invasive electrophysiology (EP) training requires intellectual skills related to the interpretation of intracardiac electrograms. The classic approach to the education of young electrophysiologists focused solely on theoretical knowledge and overseen procedures in patients as no real-life-like simulation of EP studies was available.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to assess a novel tool for EP training based on fully interactive, online simulator providing real clinical experience to the users.

Methods: EP simulator users access a system with simulated electrocardiogram, mimicking signals recorded by a catheter. Assessment of EP simulator by 40 electrophysiologists from 16 countries was collected via online questionnaire.

Results: The realism of ECG signals was described as excellent or very good by 90% of responders, of intracardial signals by 82.5%. Realism of signal interactions and user experience was judged as excellent or very good by 75% and 70% accordingly. One hundred percent of users agree definitely or mostly that EP Simulator helps to translate theoretical into practical knowledge. Of responders, 97.5% would include it in EP training programs as it is extremely or very useful for training purposes in the opinion of 87.5%. Of responders, 72.5% think that training on EP simulator can potentially reduce the rate of complications. In 87.5%, the overall experience was completely or mostly satisfying and would be recommended by 100% of responders.

Conclusion: EP simulator is a feasible tool for training of young electrophysiologist, and it may be potentially included in the cardiologist curriculum. We should particularly emphasize the positive respondents' assessment of EP simulator overall realism.

Background: Despite advances in simulator technology, live anaesthetised animals continue to be used as human patient simulators for medical professionals to practice techniques in the management of surgical trauma. This article describes the process of convening a working group of individuals with a professional interest in simulation to discuss the use of live animals and consider if and how they can be replaced in the future.

Main body: A working group was formed of voluntary attendees to a workshop held at the SESAM 2023 conference. Iterative discussions reflecting on the topic were used to produce statements summarising the working group's opinions. The working group determined that live animals are used as human patient simulators due to the presence of accurate and responsive physiology in the presence of bleeding, realistic tissue tactility and an emotional response experienced by the learner due to interaction with the animal. They were unable to reach a consensus on replacement, determining that there is currently no single model which is able to provide all the learning aspects which a live animal model can provide. Several suggestions were made regarding development of technologies and pedagogical change.

Conclusion: Replacement of live animals in surgical simulation is not straightforward but should be an aspiration, if possible. For the ongoing development of trauma surgical simulation models, it is important to combine the knowledge, skills and perspectives of medical stakeholders and educators, academic researchers and industry experts in producing alternative options to the use of live animal simulators.

Background: Residents struggle to express clinical uncertainty, often exhibiting negative cognitive, behavioral, and emotional responses to uncertainty when engaging with patients or supervisors. However, the Integrative Model of Uncertainty Tolerance posits that individuals may have positive or negative responses to perceived uncertainty. Situational characteristics, such as interactions with other health professionals, can impact whether the response is positive or negative. The team context in which residents interact with resident peers and supervisors could represent varying situational characteristics that enable a spectrum of responses to uncertainty. Understanding the situational characteristics of multidisciplinary teams that allow residents to display positive responses to perceived uncertainty could inform strategies to foster positive responses to uncertainty in other contexts. We explored resident responses to perceived uncertainty in a simulated multidisciplinary team context.

Methods: A simulation-primed qualitative inquiry approach was used. Fourteen residents from Cardiology and Obstetrics and Gynecology participated in simulation scenarios involving pregnant patients with heart disease. We incorporated epistemic fidelity through the deliberate inclusion of ambiguity and complexity to prompt uncertainty. Audio recordings of debriefing sessions were analyzed using directed content analysis.

Results: Residents recognized that uncertainty is unavoidable, and positive responses to uncertainty are crucial to team dynamics and patient safety. While residents had positive responses to expressing uncertainty to peers, they had predominantly negative responses to expressing uncertainty to supervisors. Predominant negative response to supervisors related to judgement from supervisors, and impacts on perceived trustworthiness or independence. Although residents recognized expressing uncertainty to a supervisor could identify opportunities for learning and resolve their uncertainty, the negative responses overshadowed the positive responses. Residents highly valued instances in which supervisors were forthcoming about their own uncertainty.

Conclusions: Through participation in simulations with epistemic fidelity, residents reflected on how they perceive and respond to uncertainty in multidisciplinary teams. Our findings emphasize the role of situational characteristics, particularly peers and supervisors, in moderating responses to perceived uncertainty. The productive discussions around responses to uncertainty in debriefing sessions suggest further studies of multidisciplinary simulations could enhance our understanding of how uncertainty is expressed, and potentially be used as an instructional intervention to promote positive responses to uncertainty.

Principles and issues of equity, diversity, inclusivity, and accessibility (EDIA) are being explored currently in simulation designs and trainings but with limited depth, often raising more questions than answers. This editorial invites the broader healthcare simulation community to move beyond the superficial to explore more expansively and deeply these issues of EDIA within simulation. Simulation is the very environment and context from which we may confront how existing (power) structures can be dismantled and re-envisioned for more optimal redistribution of participation, power, and benefits. We can use simulation to experiment with variations of these realities, and start exploring consequences of such alternatives to benefit our broader health systems and societies. Simulation uniquely combines opportunities for experience, reflection, application and active experimentation, enabling a ripe ground for this study. In fact, it is the responsibility of simulation educators to take up this challenge, and to engage in meaningful scholarship to understand more about the impact of simulation in exploring EDIA topics. This editorial invites contributions of empirical and theoretical works that advance our collective understanding of EDIA, while also cautioning against complacency. The simulation community is urged to look inwards and also examine its own practices critically, in spite of the uncertainty, vulnerability and risks that this presents.