Abstract
BackgroundHigh-fidelity patient simulators in team training are becoming popular, though research showing benefits of the training process compared to low-fidelity models is rare. We explored in situ training for paediatric teams in an emergency department using a low-fidelity model (plastic doll) and a high-fidelity paediatric simulator, keeping other contextual factors constant. The goal was to study differences in trainees’ and trainers’ performance along with their individual experiences, during in situ training, using either a low-fidelity model or a high-fidelity paediatric simulator.MethodsDuring a two-year period, teams involved in paediatric emergency care were trained in groups of five to nine. Each team performed one video-recorded paediatric emergency scenario. A case control study was undertaken in which 34 teams used either a low-fidelity model (n = 17) or a high-fidelity paediatric simulator (n = 17). The teams’ clinical performances during the scenarios were measured as the time elapsed to prescribe as well as deliver oxygen. The trainers were monitored regarding frequency of their interventions. We also registered trainees’ and trainers’ mental strain and flow experience.ResultsOf 225 trainees’ occasions during 34 sessions, 34 trainer questionnaires, 163 trainee questionnaires, and 28 videos, could be analyzed. Time to deliver oxygen was significantly longer (p = 0.014) when a high-fidelity simulator was used. The trainees’ mental strain and flow did not differ between the two types of training. The frequency of trainers interventions was lower (p < 0.001) when trainees used a high-fidelity simulator; trainers’ perceived mental strain was lower (<0.001) and their flow experience higher (p = 0.004) when using high-fidelity simulator.ConclusionsLevels of equipment fidelity affect measurable performance variables in simulation-based team training, but trainee s’ individual experiences are similar. We also note a reduction in the frequency of trainers’ interventions in the scenarios as well as their mental strain, when trainees used a high-fidelity simulator.
Highlights
High-fidelity patient simulators in team training are becoming popular, though research showing benefits of the training process compared to low-fidelity models is rare
The need for trainers to timely provide clinical information is likely to be less using high fidelity equipment, and this too can affect some of the trainees’ and the trainers’ individual experiences
Two sessions were performed with a high-fidelity paediatric simulator (HFS) used in the first, and a low-fidelity model (LFM) used in the second session
Summary
High-fidelity patient simulators in team training are becoming popular, though research showing benefits of the training process compared to low-fidelity models is rare. The goal was to study differences in trainees’ and trainers’ performance along with their individual experiences, during in situ training, using either a low-fidelity model or a high-fidelity paediatric simulator. In this study low- fidelity model refers to technical equipment that is static and does not interact with the environment in contrast to high-fidelity, i.e. a mannequin that provides physiological feedback via interactive software in response to the trainees’ actions. It is a well-known among trainers, though it has not been studied as far as we know, that orally conveyed physiological parameters and practical procedures tend to pass unrealistically quickly during training with low-fidelity mannequins. In studying the teams’ performance and individual experiences in a team, it is important to consider both leaders and followers separately [15]
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