Introduction. As serious games are a relatively new phenomenon in medical education, there is little data on end user demographics or usage. In this study our goal was to describe the demographics and usage for purchasers of the GridlockED board game, a serious board game for teaching about a systems approach to managing care in the emergency department. Methods. We conducted a two-phase survey of individuals interested in purchasing GridlockED. Users were asked to complete a brief demographic survey before accessing the purchasing site. A follow-up survey was performed 3-6 months after the initial survey. That survey was to assess participants’ usage, play patterns, and what changes to GridlockED they would like to see. Individuals who did not purchase the board game were asked about their barriers to purchase. Results. After one year of sales, 213 games were purchased, 560 individuals had completed the intake survey with 408 consented to follow-up. Responding purchasers were from 16 different roles in healthcare in 11 countries. Our follow-up survey collated 53 responses (out of 408 individuals, 14% response rate). The majority (63%) of respondents reported having played the game, with the most common use cases being for fun (40%), teaching trainees (21%) or training with colleagues (13%). Price of the game unit was cited as the largest barrier to purchase (60%). Conclusion. GridlockED attracted interest from a wide range of medical professionals around the world. Users reported using the game for fun and for teaching/training purposes. The main barrier to purchase was the game’s price.

Objective: GridlockED gameplay workshops were delivered in Canada. This project investigated workshop attendees' experiences, seeking to identify learning points to inform improvement of the workshop. Methods: GridlockED sessions were held through 2018 and 2019. Workshops targeted medical trainees. After a standardized video, learners played for approximately 90 minutes. Learners completed a postgameplay survey with 7-point Likert scale questions about their experience.Results: Seventy-two participants responded to our survey (41 medical students, 13 physician assistant students, 12 emergency medicine residents, and six faculty members). Trainees rated GridlockED as both enjoyable and a meaningful educational experience, with a mean (±SD) rating of 6.53 (±0.96) of 7 for enjoyment and 6.17 (±1.13) for education. Attendees identified teamwork and communication (49%) as the most helpful learning domain, with patient flow (43%) being second and basics of how the ED worked (31%) being third. The respondents self-identified top areas of learning as resource management (38.9%), improved understanding of various provider roles in the ED (33%), and improved communication skills (33%).

NEED FOR THE INNOVATI ONDespite increasingly sparse and competitive funding for medical education research work, 1,2 there is increasing pressure for those in health professions education to engage in high-quality scholarly work. Academic medical centers pride themselves on engaging in new and innovative practices of teaching and learning and advancing that through traditional scholarship. However, available funding is primarily focused on empirical research, with few dollars accessible for new innovations in health professions education. 3 If funding is