How to use telesimulation to reduce COVID-19 training challenges: A recipe with free online tools and a bit of imagination

Carla Sa-Couto,Abel Nicolau

doi:10.15694/mep.2020.000129.1

Abstract

This article was migrated. The article was marked as recommended. In response to COVID-19 outbreak, alternatives to face-to-face classes/seminars rapidly emerged and telecommunication platforms become the new classrooms. Although with additional challenges, telesimulation based classes can benefit from online platforms and innovative strategies, to promote a meaningful and interactive distance-learning experience.A combination of several free online resources is used to recreate (at distance) emergency simulation scenarios. Practicalities involving this strategy are described in the form of a recipe, including supplemental guides and an illustrative video, allowing its rapid implementation. Feedback from students on the educational gains was surveyed, as a preliminary evaluation of this methodology.The use of free online tools makes it accessible off-site and worldwide, including in low-resources locations. This strategy has high potential to be used in the transitional post-confinement period or as a future complement to physical settings.

Highlights

Telesimulation can be defined as a process in which telecommunication and simulation resources are used to provide education, training, and/or assessment to learners at an off‐site location (McCoy, 2017)
Telesimulation is being used as a distance-education strategy for over a decade, with an increased interest in the recent years
In a typical telesimulation class, learners are in a location physically distant from the academic facilities with no educational or training resources, while the teacher/instructor is in a simulation center or in a learning facility with educational resources

Summary

Background

Telesimulation can be defined as a process in which telecommunication and simulation resources are used to provide education, training, and/or assessment to learners at an off‐site location (McCoy, 2017). The implementation of the proposed strategy occurred in April 2020, using a scheduled elective curricular unit as a pilot This is a course for 5th year medical students focused on the use of non-technical skills to promote effective teamwork, during clinical emergencies. It includes an introductory lecture (week 1), several group dynamics (week 2), and students’ participation (in groups of 4) in three emergency scenarios, followed by a structured debriefing (week 3 and 4). The use of free online tools makes it accessible off-site and worldwide, including in lowresources locations This strategy has high potential to be used in the transitional post-confinement period or as a future complement to physical settings

Notes On Contributors

Findings

Ethics Statement