The development and implementation of a 12-month simulation-based learning curriculum for pediatric emergency medicine fellows utilizing debriefing with good judgment and rapid cycle deliberate practice

Rapid cycle deliberate practice to improve airway skills and performance of trainees in a pediatric emergency department

Objective

The study objective was to determine the effect of a rapid cycle deliberate practice (RCDP) program on simulated and actual airway skills by pediatric emergency medicine (PEM) fellows.

Methods

We designed and implemented a 12-month RCDP airway skills curriculum for PEM fellows at an academic pediatric institution. The curriculum was designed using airway training literature, RCDP principals, and internal quality assurance airway video review program. Simulation training scenarios increased in complexity throughout the curriculum. PEM fellows participated in monthly sessions. Two PEM faculty facilitated the sessions, utilizing a step-by-step objective structured clinical evaluation (OSCE)-style tool for each scenario. Data were collected for all four levels of the Kirkpatrick Model of Training Evaluation-participant response (reaction, pre-post session survey), skills performance in the simulation setting (learning, pre-post OSCE), skills performance for actual patients (behavior, video review), and patient outcomes (results, video review).

Results

During the study period (August 2021 to June 2022), 13 PEM fellows participated in 112 sessions (mean nine sessions per fellow). PEM fellows reported improved comfort in all domains of airway management, including intubation performance. Participant OSCE scores improved posttraining (pretraining median score for trainees 57 [IQR 57-59], posttraining median 61 [IQR 61-62], p = 0.0005). Over the 12 months, PEM fellows performed 45 intubation attempts in the pediatric emergency department (median patient age 4 years [IQR 1-9 years]). Compared to a 5-year historical cohort, participants had higher first-pass success (87% vs. 71%, p = 0.028) and shorter attempt duration (22 s vs. 29 s, p = 0.018). There was no significant difference in the frequency of oxyhemoglobin desaturation in the training period versus the historical period (7% vs. 15%, p = 0.231).

Conclusions

At multiple levels of educational outcomes, including participant behavior and patient outcomes, an RCDP program was associated with improved airway skills and performance of PEM fellows.

Differences in emergency medicine resident procedural reporting by race and ethnicity

Background

The recruitment, retention, and training of physicians from groups underrepresented in medicine (UiM) is critically important to the practice of emergency medicine (EM). Studies across specialties have demonstrated disparities in operative experiences among UiM resident learners who are UiM; however, there are limited data on procedural disparities in EM.

Objective

We sought to quantify the association between racial and ethnic identities that are UiM and the number of procedures reported among EM residents.

Methods

We conducted a retrospective review of procedural differences by UiM status (using self-identified race and ethnicity) among graduating EM residents at nine training programs over a 10-year period. Sites were selected to ensure diversity of program length, program type, and geography. Data from residents in combined training programs, those who did not complete their full training at that institution, and those with missing data or electing not to report race/ethnicity were excluded. We calculated median and interquartile ranges for each procedure by UiM status. We conducted multivariable regression analyses accounting for UiM status, gender, and site as well as a sensitivity analysis excluding values >3 standard deviations from the mean for each procedure.

Results

We collected data from 988 total residents, with 718 (73%) being non-UiM, 204 (21%) being UiM, 48 (5%) electing not to specific race/ethnicity, and 18 (2%) missing race/ethnicity data. While unadjusted data demonstrated a difference between UiM and non-UiM resident numbers across several procedures, there were no significant differences in procedures reported after accounting for gender and site in the primary or sensitivity analyses.

Conclusions

We did not identify a statistically significant difference in reported procedures between UiM and non-UiM residents in EM. Future work should include qualitative investigations of UiM resident experience surrounding procedures as well as mixed-methods studies to examine how these data interact.

Theoretical, Conceptual, and Operational Aspects in Simulation Training With Rapid Cycle Deliberate Practice: An Integrative Review

SUMMARY STATEMENT

An integrative review following Whittemore and Knafl's 5-stage approach (problem identification, literature search, data evaluation, data analysis, and presentation) was conducted to synthesize the evidence on the theoretical, conceptual, and operational aspects of simulation training with rapid cycle deliberate practice (RCDP). After the literature search, 2 reviewers independently read and critically evaluated primary studies using the eligibility criteria. A third more experienced reviewer solved disagreements between the reviewers.This review included 31 articles. Eight themes were identified and grouped into 2 pre-established categories: theoretical/conceptual and operational aspects. The first category had the following 3 themes: definition of RCDP, concepts related to the principles of RCDP, and theories underpinning RCDP. The second category had the following 5 themes: total training time, number of participants in the training, training system, first scenario without intervention, and progressive difficulty. This review showed that knowledge about RCDP is still under construction. As a new simulation strategy, there are some theoretical, conceptual, and operational differences in the studies applying RCDP interventions as simulation training.

A Literature Study of Medical Simulations for Non-Technical Skills Training in Emergency Medicine: Twenty Years of Progress, an Integrated Research Framework, and Future Research Avenues

Medical simulations have led to extensive developments in emergency medicine. Apart from the growing number of applications and research efforts in patient safety, few studies have focused on modalities, research methods, and professions via a synthesis of simulation studies with a focus on non-technical skills training. Intersections between medical simulation, non-technical skills training, and emergency medicine merit a synthesis of progress over the first two decades of the 21st century. Drawing on research from the Web of Science Core Collection's Science Citation Index Expanded and Social Science Citation Index editions, results showed that medical simulations were found to be effective, practical, and highly motivating. More importantly, simulation-based education should be a teaching approach, and many simulations are utilised to substitute high-risk, rare, and complex circumstances in technical or situational simulations. (1) Publications were grouped by specific categories of non-technical skills, teamwork, communication, diagnosis, resuscitation, airway management, anaesthesia, simulation, and medical education. (2) Although mixed-method and quantitative approaches were prominent during the time period, further exploration of qualitative data would greatly contribute to the interpretation of experience. (3) High-fidelity dummy was the most suitable instrument, but the tendency of simulators without explicitly stating the vendor selection calls for a standardised training process. The literature study concludes with a ring model as the integrated framework of presently known best practices and a broad range of underexplored research areas to be investigated in detail.

Rapid Cycle Deliberate Practice in Healthcare Simulation: a Scoping Review

Rapid cycle deliberate practice (RCDP) is a type of simulation-based medical education (SBME) where learners cycle between deliberate practice and directed feedback until skill mastery is achieved before progressing to subsequent learning objectives. This scoping review examines and summarizes the literature on RCDP, compares RCDP to other modes of instruction, and identifies knowledge gaps for future research. Of the 1224 articles identified, 23 studies met inclusion criteria. The studies varied in design, RCDP technique implementation strategies, and outcome measures. RCDP is associated with positive outcomes in immediate learner performance. It is unclear if RCDP is superior to traditional simulation.

A novel program to enhance pediatric emergency medicine training in Thailand

BACKGROUND

In Thailand, there are few pediatric emergency medicine (PEM) fellowship-trained providers, and emergency departments (EDs) are staffed by pediatricians and emergency physicians. Our pediatric ED collaborated with Thailand's largest private hospital system to develop a training program designed to improve emergency care for children.

OBJECTIVE

The objective was to develop, implement, and assess the efficacy of a curriculum to improve PEM care by emergency providers in a Thai health system.

METHODS

We conducted a prospective study from January 2018 to July 2019. After an initial needs assessment, we developed a curriculum with 22 modules, divided into basic and advanced courses. Each course began with baseline testing, consisting of written tests and several simulated cases led by physician-nurse teams. Each course was administered longitudinally through electronic modules over 6 months, with in-person shadowing and skills workshops at the course midpoint, culminating in final summative examinations and repeat simulation testing.

RESULTS

On written examination scores for the basic course, physicians (n = 5) improved by 37.6% (95% confidence interval [CI] = 29.8% to 45.4%, p < 0.001), while nurses (n = 5) improved by 55.7% (95% CI = 45.8% to 65.6%, p < 0.001). For simulation testing among physician-nurse dyads, performance improved by 19.5% (95% CI = 3.9% to 35.1%, p = 0.004) for critical action items and by 3.0 points (95% CI = 2.3 to 3.7, p < 0.001) on a 16-point teamwork scale. For the advanced course, physicians improved on the written examination by 36.9% (95% CI = 29.2% to 44.7%, p < 0.001) and nurses by 50.6 (95% CI = 47.3% to 54.0%, p < 0.001). For simulation testing, performance improved from 22.2% (95% CI = 8.2% to 35.6%, p < 0.001) for critical actions and 1.3 points (95% CI = 0.2 to 2.2, p = 0.005) on teamwork measures.

CONCLUSIONS

We designed an interdisciplinary curriculum and successfully trained Thai physicians and nurses to improve PEM knowledge and teamwork.

Determinants of Fall Prevention Guideline Implementation in the Home- and Community-Based Service Setting

Background and Objectives

Home- and community-based service (HCBS) recipients often possess multiple fall risk factors, suggesting that the implementation of evidence-based fall prevention guidelines may be appropriate for the HCBS setting. The purpose of this exploratory study was to examine the determinants of fall prevention guideline implementation and the potential strategies that can support implementation in HCBS organizations.

Research Design and Methods

Semistructured interview and focus group data were collected from 26 HCBS professionals representing the home-delivered meals, personal care, and wellness programs. Qualitative codes were mapped to the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research by means of directed content analysis. The Consolidated Criteria for Reporting Qualitative research checklist was used to report the findings of this study.

Results

We identified 7 major determinants of guideline implementation: recipient needs and resources, cosmopolitanism, external policy and incentives, networks and communication, compatibility, available resources, and knowledge/beliefs. Strategies to support guideline implementation included the involvement of recipient and caregiver feedback, building fall prevention networks, and conducting educational meetings for HCBS staff.

Discussion and Implications

Falls and fall-related injuries will continue to plague the older adult community unless innovative approaches to fall prevention are developed and adopted. The implementation of fall prevention guidelines in the HCBS setting can help mitigate fall risk among a highly vulnerable older adult population and may be facilitated through the application of multifaceted implementation strategies.

Improving the Pediatric Emergency Department Learning Experience: A Simulation-Based Orientation for Pediatric PGY 1 Residents

INTRODUCTION

Rotations in the pediatric emergency department (PED) may expose residents to very few critically ill patients. In our previous work, interns at our institution showed low self-confidence in decision-making and preparedness to stabilize acutely ill patients. In order to improve this, we designed a new, peer-led, simulation-based orientation to the PED rotation for interns focusing on workflow and decision-making. The cases presented learners with practical and generalizable challenges, such as ordering initial labs and medications and defining the ultimate disposition for the patient.

METHODS

This orientation curriculum was designed for first-year residents using high-fidelity simulation mannequins. In the first of two cases, learners managed a 10-year-old boy presenting with status asthmaticus who required continuous albuterol and parenteral magnesium to achieve stability for admission. In the second case, a 4-year-old girl with short gut syndrome and an indwelling central line presented with fever, was found to be septic, but responded well to fluid resuscitation and antibiotic therapy.

RESULTS

Over 2 years of implementation, 39 residents participated. Pre- and postintervention Likert-based survey evaluations showed significant increases in confidence in decision-making and preparedness to stabilize acutely ill children that were not seen in a control group during the pilot year. A subsequent class-wide implementation showed similar significant improvements, as well as increased comfort initiating treatment prior to staffing.

DISCUSSION

Using simulation mannequins in a case-based orientation can improve PGY 1 residents' self-confidence and sense of preparedness during their first rotation in the PED.

Using rapid cycle deliberate practice to improve primary and secondary survey in pediatric trauma

BACKGROUND

Optimal performance of the primary and secondary survey is the foundation of Advance Trauma Life Support care. Despite its importance, not all primary surveys completed at level 1 pediatric trauma centers are performed according to established guidelines (Gala et al., Pediatr Emerg Care 32:756-762, 2016, Carter et al., Resuscitation 84:66-71, 2013). We hypothesize that rapid cycle deliberate practice (RCDP) will improve surgical residents' confidence in performing the primary and secondary survey.

METHODS

We developed a curriculum to teach surgical interns the principles of performing the primary and secondary survey using RCDP. Surveys distributed after each session assessed the impact of the curriculum on learner confidence and perception that this curriculum would benefit patient care. Questions were scored on a 5-point Likert scale. Sixteen surgical interns participated during intern orientation and 100% of the participants completed the post curriculum survey.

RESULTS

Thirteen (81%) of participants agreed or strongly agreed that the simulation would impact future performance in the pediatric trauma bay. The curriculum also significantly improved the confidence of our learners to perform trauma surveys (p < 0.001).

CONCLUSION

This curriculum improves the confidence of junior surgical residents in learning the primary and secondary survey. Most learners enjoyed the session and felt that the curriculum would positively impact their performance.