Introduction: It is known that medical education can be augmented by simulation, that active participant, and observers demonstrate educational benefit. What is not well researched are strategies for maximizing observer benefit. Human patient simulation is of growing importance in the era of restricted duty hours, but remains a limited resource, restricting the number of learners that can be trained at one time. We hypothesized that a strategy could be employed to increase capacity through structured engagement of observers. The purpose of this study is to assess the effects of structured observation tools on observers' confidence in content knowledge, task, and procedural skills, and team-based learning.
Materials and Methods:A scenario-based simulation course was created and implemented for third-year medical students during their trauma clerkship. Students participated in simulations and observed classmates via a live video stream. One treatment group of observers used a checklist listing critical actions to guide their observation while the control group had no observational aid. Confidence in ability was measured via pre and post-course self-assessments to identify disparities between the groups. The difference in the reported confidence prior to and following the course was analyzed, primarily using t-tests.
Results:Overall, students had a significant increase in self-reported competence following the simulation course (p-value < 0.001). Students using the checklist had a greater increase in confidence in competencies involving medical content knowledge and procedural skills (p < 0.05), whereas their counterparts who did not have an observation tool had greater confidence increases in team-based competencies (p < 0.05). Specifically, learners' confidence in their ability to "communicate clearly with team members" increased more in the group without a checklist (p < 0.05).
Conclusion:These findings suggest structured tools directed to the observer impact learning. Checklist observation tools enhanced content knowledge and procedural skill educational objectives, while unaided observation was superior for communication and interpersonal team-based competencies.