Simulation-based Deliberate Practice Research Articles

Mapping the complexity of task demands during constant observation of patients with complex health behaviors.

Unlicensed patient care assistants (PCAs) are often tasked with providingconstant observation (CO)of patients withcomplex health behaviors. The unique demands of CO are poorly understood, making it challenging to design effective training.Four-componentinstructional design theory suggests the tasks associated with CO featurenon-recurrentchallenges, such that effective, simulation-based deliberate practice must reflect real-life variability.This study aimed toelucidate the variety of challenges PCAsencounter during CO of patientswithcomplex health behaviors. We used a qualitativedescriptivedesignand developed apreliminary framework to code interviews.The data collection framework wasdesigned to support creating numerous realistic scenariosto support generalized and transferable learning.From our interviews with 16 participants, we identified 1,066 statements associated with variations in CO tasks. We grouped our findings by two domains, "patient factors" and "environmental contexts." Our results revealed many recurring and non-recurring challengesinherent in CO, requiring arange of skills to maintain patient and staff safety.Instructional design elements may include scenarios incorporatingenvironment and resource assessment,cognitive feedback for non-recurrent tasks, novel methods of self-harm initiated by the patient, and incorporating interdisciplinary staff in which the learner must navigate a complex conversation. This studyclarifiesthetask demands of CO andisuseful as a task analysis to guide scenario development for simulation-based experiences. A less systematic approachwould risk underrepresenting the difficulties inherent in the task, reinforcing a limited set of behaviors that may not generalize well to the non-recurrent challenges in CO.

Clinical educators of the medical colleges of South Asia need to be trained for educating clinical reasoning skills to medical students

Clinical reasoning is the process of reasoning to decide for managing the patient using data and applying medical knowledge and experience. Clinical reasoning skills are essential skills for the novice learner of medical education to learn the process of clinical diagnosis, thereby providing safe and effectual health care. These skills learning help clinicians arrive at a diagnosis and prevent making diagnostic errors which are reported to occur in five to 15% of cases. Poor clinical reasoning leads to a diagnostic error which may jeopardize the patient’s safety. The clinical reasoning skills are not generally explicitly imparted to the learners especially during their undergraduate learning period even though these may be documented in the curriculum of medical undergraduate study. The key elements in the clinical reasoning process are the patients’ story, data acquisition, problem representation, hypothesis generation, search and selection of illness script, differential diagnosis, and a leading diagnosis. Clinical reasoning is a complex process, difficult to teach learners and assess their skills, consumes clinical medical educators’ time, and requires resources for teaching and learning. There must be educational strategies both at the undergraduate and postgraduate levels to promote diagnostic reasoning skills; for this, clinical medical educators must be acquainted/trained in how to convey the reasoning approaches to beginners. The clinical medical educator has to a play dual role; provide quality care to the patients, teach clinical reasoning skills to the learners, and assess their skills to make them independent decision-makers and problem solvers in clinical settings. Clinical reasoning skills are among the core competencies to be learned by medical learners to become competent clinicians. The clinical competence of the clinician cannot be superseded by the advancement of technology and evidence-based medicine. All these three need to be integrated to minimize the errors in diagnosis. Clinical educators must unequivocally nurture and enhance the capacity of learners to include and integrate both analytical and non-analytical clinical reasoning strategies into their approach to arrive at diagnosis. The clinical medical educator must identify the learners’ approach to clinical reasoning and enable them to follow the right approaches towards clinical reasoning. Clinical reasoning skills are better learned/imparted during clinical encounters and deliberate practice enriches learning of these skills. Enhancement of clinical reasoning skills learning can be achieved through deliberate practice. The clinical medical educator may organize and supervise the simulation-based deliberate practice sessions for the learners to boost their clinical reasoning skills. For the deliberate practice of clinical reasoning skills, The New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) has developed an application NEJM Healer, a screen-based interactive patient encounter (Virtual Bedside Encounter) through which learners are involved in each element of clinical reasoning process. Virtual Reality (VR) is also gaining popularity in educating the medical students and has been demonstrated to be beneficial in enhancing students’ comprehension and memory as well as in the development of transferable skills like surgical methods. The medical schools in South Asian countries need to reiterate the development/enhancement of clinical reasoning skills of both medical undergraduate and postgraduate learners. To achieve this objective, medical colleges must regularly organize training for clinical medical educators to facilitate students’ learning in reasoning skills, and for assessing their skills, and provide feedback to the learners. The institutes should also invest in infrastructure to pursue the use of modern technologies like VR, skills labs, etc. to attain this objective.

Training to proficiency in surgery using simulation: is there a moral obligation?

A deontological approach to surgical ethics advocates that patients have the right to receive the best care that can be provided. The ‘learning curve’ in surgical skill is an observable...

Step-Specific Simulation: The Utility of 3D Printing for the Fabrication of a Low-Cost, Learning Needs-Based Rhinoplasty Simulator

Rhinoplasty is a complex procedure that requires meticulous planning and precise execution. Plastic surgeons involved in teaching residents must balance a trainee's hands-on experience while ensuring appropriate execution of difficult maneuvers. Surgical simulation, a field of growing importance with the shift towards competency-based education, may aid in trainee skill development. Through the concept of deliberate practice, the authors looked to explore the utility and economics of 3-dimensional (3D) printing technology to develop a step-specific rhinoplasty simulator. The main objective of this study was to address rhinoplasty skills previously identified as "learning areas of weakness" and develop a low-cost, step-specific simulator to help rhinoplasty teaching. A patient's facial bones, upper and lower lateral cartilages, and septum were segmented from a computed tomography scan and rendered in 3D format. This was 3D printed utilizing Ultimaker Polylactic filament with a polyvinyl acetate dissolvable support for bone, a mixture of Rigur 450 and Tango plus polyjet material for cartilage, and Smooth-On Dragon Skin for skin. A modular simulator was developed with 3 separate, interchangeable components with a perfect fit design. The simulator allowed for deliberate practice of the 5 rhinoplasty learning areas of weakness, with a maximal recurring cost of $75 CAD. Through the employment of 3D printing, a low-cost, maneuver-specific rhinoplasty simulator reinforcing deliberate practice was developed. This concept of simulation-based deliberate practice may be of increasing interest when considering the implementation of competency-based curricular standards in plastic surgery education.

Effects of Simulation-Based Deliberate Practice on Nursing Students' Communication, Empathy, and Self-Efficacy.

Newly graduated nurses' communication ability often does not satisfy the needs of clinical sites. New training pedagogies are needed to help nursing students improve communication skills. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of simulation-based deliberate practice on cultivating nursing students' communication, empathy, and self-efficacy. The study was a randomized controlled trial. A total of 132 first-year nursing students participated in the study at a nursing school in China. The intervention was guided by simulation-based education and deliberate practice. The Clinical Communication Ability Scale, Jefferson Scale of Empathy-Health Professionals, and General Self-Efficacy Scale were used to measure the students' outcomes. After the intervention, students' scores of clinical communication ability, empathy, and self-efficacy in the experimental group all increased significantly, compared with those of the control group. The simulation-based deliberate practice program is a feasible teaching method targeting improvement in nursing students' communication, empathy, and self-efficacy. [J Nurs Educ. 2019;58(12):681-689.].

Cost-Effective Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation Simulation

AbstractThis invited review article was presented orally on the occasion of the South West Asian Chapter conference of the Extracorporeal Life Support Organization (ELSO) held in New Delhi, India in January 2018. It has an educational focus on the topic of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO), which is increasingly being used as a lifesaving bridge therapy. A case is being made regarding the adage “practice makes perfect” to be considered in the context of simulation-based education to ensure patient safety. Technology-enhanced simulation-based deliberate practice should be used more commonly to support clinicians in the development of all their professional skills. This is an ethical imperative that may be addressed using low-cost simulation modalities that are sometimes proven to be as effective as more expensive approaches. Educators can now design their programs according to published best practice standards for the benefit of their learners, and ultimately the patients they care for. Simulation-based education clearly has a place and important role to play in preparing ECMO teams dealing with routine procedures as well as emergency situations. Several solution and approaches are being presented alongside innovative work currently being done in collaboration between a regional ELSO center of excellence and an academic institution. This innovative simulator is composed of several modules serving different functions required for the simulation of ECMO emergencies at a much lower cost than using the real machine and its various expensive disposable components.

Neonatal resuscitation experience curves: simulation based mastery learning booster sessions and skill decay patterns among pediatric residents.

Background Following neonatal resuscitation program (NRP) training, decay in clinical skills can occur. Simulation-based deliberate practice (SBDP) has been shown to maintain NRP skills to a variable extent. Our study objectives were (a) to determine whether a single 30 min simulation-based intervention that incorporates SBDP and mastery learning (ML) can effectively restore skills and prevent skill decay and (b) to compare different timing options. Methods Following NRP certification, pediatric residents were randomly assigned to receive a video-recorded baseline assessment plus SBDP-ML refresher education at between 6 and 9 months (early) or between 9 and 12 months (late). One year following initial certification, participants had repeat skill retention videotaped evaluations. Participants were scored by blinded NRP instructors using validated criteria scoring tools and assigned a global performance rating score (GRS). Results Twenty-seven participants were included. Residents in both early and late groups showed significant skill decay 7 and 10 months after initial NRP. SBDP-ML booster sessions significantly improved participants' immediate NRP performance scores (p<0.001), which persisted for 2 months, but were again lower 4 months later. Conclusions NRP skills may be boosted to mastery levels after a short SBDP-ML intervention and do not appear to significantly decline after 2 months. Brief booster training could potentially serve as a useful supplement to traditional NRP training for pediatric residents.

Simulation-based mastery learning with deliberate practice improves clinical performance in spinal anesthesia.

Introduction. Properly performing a subarachnoid block (SAB) is a competency expected of anesthesiology residents. We aimed to determine if adding simulation-based deliberate practice to a base curriculum improved performance of a SAB. Methods. 21 anesthesia residents were enrolled. After baseline assessment of SAB on a task-trainer, all residents participated in a base curriculum. Residents were then randomized so that half received additional deliberate practice including repetition and expert-guided, real-time feedback. All residents were then retested for technique. SABs on all residents' next three patients were evaluated in the operating room (OR). Results. Before completing the base curriculum, the control group completed 81% of a 16-item performance checklist on the task-trainer and this increased to 91% after finishing the base curriculum (P < 0.02). The intervention group also increased the percentage of checklist tasks properly completed from 73% to 98%, which was a greater increase than observed in the control group (P < 0.03). The OR time required to perform SAB was not different between groups. Conclusions. The base curriculum significantly improved resident SAB performance. Deliberate practice training added a significant, independent, incremental benefit. The clinical impact of the deliberate practice intervention in the OR on patient care is unclear.

Practice Makes Perfect? The Role of Simulation-Based Deliberate Practice and Script-Based Mental Rehearsal in the Acquisition and Maintenance of Operative Neurosurgical Skills

Despite significant advances in technology and intraoperative techniques over the last century, operations on the brain and spinal cord continue to carry a significant risk of serious morbidity or mortality. Potentially avoidable technical errors are well recognized as contributing to poor surgical outcome. Surgical education is undergoing overwhelming change, in part as a result of changes in the economic, political, social, cultural, and technological climates in which it operates. Shortened training, reductions in the working week, economic difficulties, and increasing emphasis on patient safety have required educators to radically rethink the way in which surgical education is delivered. This has resulted in the development of simulation technology, mental script-based rehearsal, and simulation-based deliberate practice. Although these tools and techniques are garnering increasing evidence for their efficacy, the evidence for their use in neurosurgery is somewhat more limited. Here, we review the theory behind these tools and techniques and their application to neurosurgery. We conclude that further research into the utility of these tools and techniques is essential for determining their widespread adoption. If they ultimately prove to be successful, they may have a central role in neurosurgical training in the 21st century, improving the acquisition of technical skills in a specialty in which a technical error can result in grave consequences.

Teaching Cardiovascular Assessment to Pre-licensure Nursing Students Using a Simulation-based Deliberate Practice Curriculum

Cardiopulmonary assessment skills are often limited among new graduate nurses and effective instructional methodologies, particularly to improve auscultation skills, are needed. The goal of this project was to develop, implement, and evaluate learning outcomes utilizing a simulation-based cardiopulmonary assessment curriculum for pre-licensure nursing students in a multi-center research model.

A Randomized Trial of Simulation-Based Deliberate Practice for Infant Lumbar Puncture Skills

Infant lumbar puncture (LP) is mandated by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education for all pediatric trainees. Current training usually involves the apprenticeship model of "see one, do one, teach one" where a trainee's first LP attempt occurs in a high-stakes environment. Simulation training promotes skill development in a safe environment before patient contact. To demonstrate that deliberate practice simulation-based training after audiovisual training (AV) improves infant LP skills compared with a control group receiving AV training only. This was a randomized trial of simulation-based training + AV versus AV only for pediatric residents. On enrollment, the subjects' infant LP skills were evaluated through their performance on a simulator. A questionnaire and brief quiz were administered to collect information on the subjects' infant LP experience, knowledge, and confidence. All subjects viewed an educational AV presentation. The intervention group went on to participate in a simulation-based deliberate practice session on the infant LP simulator while the control group did not. Our primary outcome was self-reported clinical success on the first infant LP after training. Secondary outcomes were rates of traumatic clinical LPs, infant LP skills (measured via observed structured clinical examinations on the simulator 6 months after training), and change in participants' knowledge and confidence. Fifty-one residents reported 32 clinical encounters. Sixteen of 17 subjects (94%) in the intervention group who performed a clinical infant LP obtained cerebrospinal fluid compared with 7 of 15 subjects (47%) in the control group (difference = 47%; 95% CI = 16%-70%). There was no difference between groups at 6 months on observed structured clinical examination performance, knowledge, or confidence. Participation in a simulation-based deliberate practice intervention can improve infant LP skill.