Simulation in healthcare : journal of the Society for Simulation in Healthcare
-
Randomized Controlled Trial
Comparison of Chest Compressions Metrics Measured Using the Laerdal Skill Reporter and Q-CPR: A Simulation Study.
There has been an increased emphasis on the quality of chest compressions as a part of the cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) bundle of care for recent times. During CPR training, chest compression quality parameters can be measured directly from sensors within a manikin or from external devices placed on the manikin chest that use accelerometer-based technology. The aim of this study was to compare external chest compression data from the manikin-based Laerdal Skill Reporter (LSR) and the accelerometer-based Q-CPR technology, incorporated into the Philips MRx defibrillator, during CPR on a single Resusci Anne Simulator manikin. ⋯ There was no significant difference in most chest compression quality metrics measured between the LSR and the Phillips Q-CPR devices when measured on a manikin. However, there were significant differences in the measurement of duty cycle and also the depth of compressions between the 2 devices with the Phillips Q-CPR device measuring lower depth of compression and duty cycle compared with the LSR device.
-
Simulation-based education (SBE) has emerged as an effective and important tool for medical educators, but research about how to optimize training with simulators is in its infancy. It is often difficult to generalize results from experiments on instructional design issues in simulation because of the heterogeneity of learner groups, teaching methods, and rapidly changing technologies. ⋯ Herein, we briefly describe cognitive load theory, its grounding in our current understanding of cognitive architecture, and the evidence supporting it. We focus our discussion on a few well-established cognitive load effects with examples from simulation training and recommend some instructional applications with theoretical potential to improve learning outcomes.
-
Goal-directed echocardiography (GDE) is used to answer specific clinical questions that provide invaluable information to physicians managing a hemodynamically unstable patient. We studied perception and ability of house staff previously trained in GDE to accurately diagnose common causes of cardiac arrest during simulated advanced cardiac life support (ACLS); we compared their results with those of expert echocardiographers. ⋯ In an ACLS-compliant manner, house staff are capable of diagnosing management-altering pathologies the majority of the time, and they reach similar diagnostic conclusions in the same amount of time as expert echocardiographers in a simulated cardiac arrest scenario.
-
Debriefing is widely recognized as a critically important element of simulation-based education. Simulation educators obtain and/or seek debriefing training from various sources, including workshops at conferences, simulation educator courses, formal fellowships in debriefings, or through advanced degrees. Although there are many options available for debriefing training, little is known about how faculty development opportunities should be structured to maintain and enhance the quality of debriefing within simulation programs. In this article, we discuss 5 key issues to help shape the future of debriefing training for simulation educators, specifically the following: (1) Are we teaching the appropriate debriefing methods? (2) Are we using the appropriate methods to teach debriefing skills? (3) How can we best assess debriefing effectiveness? (4) How can peer feedback of debriefing be used to improve debriefing quality within programs? (5) How can we individualize debriefing training opportunities to the learning needs of our educators?
-
In the setting of acute injury, a wrong, missed, or delayed diagnosis can impact survival. Clinicians rely on pattern recognition and heuristics to rapidly assess injuries, but an overreliance on these approaches can result in a diagnostic error. Simulation has been advocated as a method for practitioners to learn how to recognize the limitations of heuristics and develop better diagnostic skills. The objective of this study was to determine whether simulation could be used to provide teams the experiences in managing scenarios that require the use of heuristic as well as analytic diagnostic skills to effectively recognize and treat potentially life-threatening injuries. ⋯ This preliminary study indicates that teams led by more senior residents received higher scores when managing heuristic scenarios but were less effective when managing the scenarios that require a more analytic approach. Simulation can be used to provide teams with decision-making experiences in trauma settings and could be used to improve diagnostic skills as well as study the decision-making process.