Simulation‐based emergency medicine education in the era of physical distancing

Abstract

Background:The COVID-19 pandemic posed significant challenges to traditional simulation education. Because simulation is considered best practice for competencybased education, emergency medicine (EM) residencies adapted and innovated to accommodate to the new pandemic normal. Our objectives were to identify the impact of the pandemic on EM residency simulation training, to identify unique simulation adaptations and innovations implemented during the pandemic, and to analyze successes and failures through existing educational frameworks to offer guidance on the use of simulation in the COVID-19 era. Methods: The Society for Academic Emergency Medicine (SAEM)'s SimulationAcademy formed the SimCOVID task force to examine the impact of COVID-19 on simulation didactics. A mixed-methods approach was employed. A literature search was conducted on the subject and used to develop an exploratory survey that was distributed on the Simulation Academy Listserv. The results were subjected to thematic analysis and examined through existing educational frameworks to better understand successes and failures and then used to generate suggestions on the use of simulation in the COVID-19 era.Results: Thirty programs responded to the survey. Strategies reported included adaptations to virtual teleconferencing and small-group in situ training with a focus on procedural training and COVID-19 preparedness. Successful continuation or relaunching of simulation programs was predicated on several factors including willingness for curricular pivots through rapid iterative prototyping, embracing teleconferencing software, technical know-how, and organizational and human capacity. In specific instances the use of in situ simulation for COVID-19 preparedness established the view of simulation as a "value add" to the organization. Conclusions:Whereas simulation educator's responses to the COVID-19 pandemic can be better appreciated through the lens of iterative curricular prototyping, their successes and failures depended on existing expertise in technological, pedagogical,

Learning Outcomes of High-fidelity versus Table-Top Simulation in Undergraduate Emergency Medicine Education: Prospective, Randomized, Crossover-Controlled Study

“…26,27 Emergency medicine education, in particular, has faced significant challenges as a result of the high personal risks of infection and illnesses in the emergency department, the heavy emphasis on the medical student clerkship in evaluating prospective applicants, and the central role of clinical training for both GME and UGME emergency medicine training. 28,29 Our study provides some of the first randomized, controlled data to support low-fidelity simulation as an equivalent modality to more traditionally accepted highfidelity models, as it pertains to medical-knowledge learning outcomes. These findings support existing evidence on the efficacy of simulation as a learning modality, while at the same time challenging the notion that level of fidelity correlates to improved learning outcomes.…”

“… 26 , 27 Emergency medicine education, in particular, has faced significant challenges as a result of the high personal risks of infection and illnesses in the emergency department, the heavy emphasis on the medical student clerkship in evaluating prospective applicants, and the central role of clinical training for both GME and UGME emergency medicine training. 28 , 29 …”

Novel, Synchronous, First-person Perspective Virtual Simulations for Medical Students in Emergency Medicine

“… 1 Citing concerns for shortages in personal protective equipment and the need for social distancing during the peak of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, 2 institutions compelled many medical student rotations and simulation centers to shut down. 3 , 4 Educators were forced to pivot toward virtual learning methods. 5 , 6 Due to social distancing precautions, students who were enrolled in our emergency medicine (EM) subinternship could not be physically present within the emergency department (ED) or simulation center.…”

Integrating diversity in simulation‐based education: Potential role of virtual reality

“…I read with great interest the paper by Nadir et al 1 on simulation‐based emergency medicine education in the era of physical distancing. The authors should be commended on their efforts to analyze simulation educator's responses to the COVID‐19 pandemic.…”