Simulated Scenarios (simulated + scenario)

Distribution by Scientific Domains


Selected Abstracts


Technical and non-technical skills can be reliably assessed during paramedic simulation training

ACTA ANAESTHESIOLOGICA SCANDINAVICA, Issue 1 2009
T. VON WYL
Background: Medical teams depend on technical skills (TS) as well as non-technical skills (NTS) for successful management of critical events. Simulated scenarios are an opportunity for presentation of similar crisis situations. The aim of this study was to test whether TS and NTS are assessable with satisfactory interrater reliability (IRR) during a regular paramedic training. Methods: Thirty paramedics were rated by two independent observers using video-recording and previously validated checklists while managing two simulated emergency scenarios as a team of two. The observed items of the team's TS included type, order, and time of adequate medical care. The NTS were restricted to six team-oriented dimensions. The IRR was quantified by calculating the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). The z -transformed values of the TS and NTS were correlated by Pearson's correlation. Internal consistency was controlled using Cronbach's ,. Results: The average measures ICC for the IRR was between 0.97 [95% confidence interval (CI) 0.91,0.99] and 0.98 (95% CI 0.94,0.99) for the TS sum-score, and was 0.94 (95% CI 0.87,0.97) for the NTS sum-score; the Cronbach's , of this NTS sum-score was 0.86. There is a positive correlation between the normalised TS and NTS sum-scores (r=0.53; P<0.05). Conclusion: Assessment of TS and NTS is feasible and reliable during paramedic training in emergency scenarios. TS can be reliably assessed by one trained observer; for NTS, two trained raters provide a suitable condition for excellent observations. There is a significant positive correlation between TS and NTS. [source]


Geriatric Emergency Medicine with Integrated Simulation Curriculum

ACADEMIC EMERGENCY MEDICINE, Issue 2009
Chris Doty
Our initiative is a replicable model curriculum that teaches emergency geriatric care principles utilizing didactics and immersive simulation. Simulated scenarios encompass principles specific to geriatric care. Major curricular principles include: 1) respect for patients' autonomy, 2) accommodating patients' physical and cognitive limitations, 3) appropriate resource utilization, and 4) accurate symptom recognition and clinical decision-making. These four basic principles are incorporated throughout the curriculum and specifically during three simulated scenarios: 1) a patient with respiratory distress in the setting of end-stage cancer and end-of-life teaches topics pertaining to living wills, health care proxies and DNR orders; 2) a fallen patient requiring a trauma evaluation and safe discharge teaches resource utilization, complex evaluation of home environment, social support principles, access to medical care concepts, and utilization of institutional social services; 3) a patient with altered mental status caused by polypharmacy and sepsis teaches geriatric diagnostic and intervention challenges. Faculty teach specific clinical tactics such as minimizing distractions, frequent reorientation, minimal use of urinary catheters and "tethering" devices, prompt triage and medical screening exams, and coordinating disposition with family, nursing, and clerical staff. The curriculum also includes large classroom didactics incorporating active learning via live streamed simulation into the resident conference room. We developed an internet-based tool to manage the curriculum and track resident participation. The tool stores and sends educational handouts via email and displays digital media (e.g., radiographs, EKGs) on screen during lectures and simulation sessions. Learning objectives are measured and reinforced with pre- and post-curriculum test questions. [source]


Comparison of 15:1, 15:2, and 30:2 Compression-to-Ventilation Ratios for Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation in a Canine Model of a Simulated, Witnessed Cardiac Arrest

ACADEMIC EMERGENCY MEDICINE, Issue 2 2008
Sung Oh Hwang MD
Abstract Objectives:, This experimental study compared the effect of compression-to-ventilation (CV) ratios of 15:1, 15:2, and 30:2 on hemodynamics and resuscitation outcome in a canine model of a simulated, witnessed ventricular fibrillation (VF) cardiac arrest. Methods:, Thirty healthy dogs, irrespective of species (mean ± SD, 19.2 ± 2.2 kg), were used in this study. A VF arrest was induced. The dogs received cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and were divided into three groups based on the applied CV ratios of 15:1, 15:2, and 30:2. After 1 minute of untreated VF, 4 minutes of basic life support (BLS) was performed. At the end of the 4 minutes, the dogs were defibrillated with an automatic external defibrillator (AED) and advanced cardiac life support (ACLS) efforts were continued for 10 minutes or until restoration of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) was attained, whichever came first. Results:, None of the hemodynamic parameters, and arterial oxygen profiles was significantly different between the three groups during BLS- and ACLS-CPR. Eight dogs (80%) from each group achieved ROSC during BLS and ACLS. The survival rate was not different between the three groups. In the 15:1 and 30:2 groups, the number of compressions delivered over 1 minute were significantly greater than in the 15:2 group (73.1 ± 8.1 and 69.0 ± 6.9 to 56.3 ± 6.8; p < 0.01). The time for ventilation during which compressions were stopped at each minute was significantly lower in the 15:1 and 30:2 groups than in the 15:2 group (15.4 ± 3.9 and 17.1 ± 2.7 to 25.2 ± 2.6 sec/min; p < 0.01). Conclusions:, In a canine model of witnessed VF using a simulated scenario, CPR with three CV ratios, 15:1, 15:2, and 30:2, did not result in any differences in hemodynamics, arterial oxygen profiles, and resuscitation outcome among the three groups. CPR with a CV ratio of 15:1 provided comparable chest compressions and shorter pauses for ventilation between each cycle compared to a CV ratio of 30:2. [source]


The effect of nightshift on emergency registrars' clinical skills

EMERGENCY MEDICINE AUSTRALASIA, Issue 3 2010
Leonie Marcus
Abstract Objective: The effect of nightshift on ED staff performance is of clinical and risk-management significance. Previous studies have demonstrated deterioration in psychomotor skills but the present study specifically assessed the impact of nightshift on clinical performance. Methods: The ED registrars in a tertiary hospital were enrolled in a prospective observational study and served as their own controls. During nightshift, subjects were presented simulated scenarios and tested with eight clinical questions developed to Fellowship examination standard. Matched scenarios and questions for the same subjects during dayshift served as controls. Two investigators, blinded to subject identity and the setting in which questions were attempted, independently collated answers. Results: Of 22 eligible subjects, all were recruited; four were excluded owing to incomplete data. A correlation of 0.99 was observed between the independent scoring investigators. Of a possible score of 17, the median result for nightshift was 9.5 (interquartile range: 8,11); corresponding value for dayshift was 12 (interquartile range: 10,13); P= 0.047. Conclusion: Nightshift effect on clinical performance is anecdotally well known. The present study quantifies such effects, specifically for the ED setting, and paves the way for focused research. The implications for clinical governance strategies are significant, as the fraternity embraces the mandate to maintain quality emergency care 24 h per day. [source]


Evaluation of reduced rank semiparametric models to assess excess of risk in cluster analysis

ENVIRONMETRICS, Issue 4 2009
Marco Geraci
Abstract The existence of multiple environmental hazards is obviously a threat to human health and, from a statistical point of view, the modeling and the detection of disease clusters potentially related to those hazards offer challenging tasks. In this paper, we consider low rank thin plate spline (TPS) models within a semiparametric approach to focused clustering for small area health data. Both the distance from a putative source and a general, unspecified clustering process are modeled in the same fashion and they are entered log-additively in mixed Poisson-Normal models. Some issues related to the identification of the random effects arising from this approach are investigated. Under different simulated scenarios, we evaluate the proposed models using conditional Akaike's weights and tests for variance components, providing a comprehensive model selection methodology easy to implement. We examine observations of lung cancer deaths taken in Ohio between 1987 and 1988. These data were analyzed on several occasions to investigate the risk associated with a putative source in Hamilton county. In our analysis, we found a strong south-eastward spatial trend which is confounded with a significant radial distance effect decreasing between 0 and 150 km from the point source. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]


The Utility of Simulation in Medical Education: What Is the Evidence?

MOUNT SINAI JOURNAL OF MEDICINE: A JOURNAL OF PERSONALIZED AND TRANSLATIONAL MEDICINE, Issue 4 2009
Yasuharu Okuda MD
Abstract Medical schools and residencies are currently facing a shift in their teaching paradigm. The increasing amount of medical information and research makes it difficult for medical education to stay current in its curriculum. As patients become increasingly concerned that students and residents are "practicing" on them, clinical medicine is becoming focused more on patient safety and quality than on bedside teaching and education. Educators have faced these challenges by restructuring curricula, developing small-group sessions, and increasing self-directed learning and independent research. Nevertheless, a disconnect still exists between the classroom and the clinical environment. Many students feel that they are inadequately trained in history taking, physical examination, diagnosis, and management. Medical simulation has been proposed as a technique to bridge this educational gap. This article reviews the evidence for the utility of simulation in medical education. We conducted a MEDLINE search of original articles and review articles related to simulation in education with key words such as simulation, mannequin simulator, partial task simulator, graduate medical education, undergraduate medical education, and continuing medical education. Articles, related to undergraduate medical education, graduate medical education, and continuing medical education were used in the review. One hundred thirteen articles were included in this review. Simulation-based training was demonstrated to lead to clinical improvement in 2 areas of simulation research. Residents trained on laparoscopic surgery simulators showed improvement in procedural performance in the operating room. The other study showed that residents trained on simulators were more likely to adhere to the advanced cardiac life support protocol than those who received standard training for cardiac arrest patients. In other areas of medical training, simulation has been demonstrated to lead to improvements in medical knowledge, comfort in procedures, and improvements in performance during retesting in simulated scenarios. Simulation has also been shown to be a reliable tool for assessing learners and for teaching topics such as teamwork and communication. Only a few studies have shown direct improvements in clinical outcomes from the use of simulation for training. Multiple studies have demonstrated the effectiveness of simulation in the teaching of basic science and clinical knowledge, procedural skills, teamwork, and communication as well as assessment at the undergraduate and graduate medical education levels. As simulation becomes increasingly prevalent in medical school and resident education, more studies are needed to see if simulation training improves patient outcomes. Mt Sinai J Med 76:330,343, 2009. © 2008 Mount Sinai School of Medicine [source]


Inferring Haplotype/Disease Association by Joint Use of Case-Parents Trios and Case-Parent Pairs

ANNALS OF HUMAN GENETICS, Issue 3 2010
Yue-Qing Hu
Summary Recently interest has been increasing in genetic association studies using several closely linked loci. The HAP-TDT method, which uses case-parents trios is powerful for such a task. However, it is not uncommon in practice that one parent is missing for some reason, such as late onset. The case-parents trios are thus reduced to case-parent pairs. Discarding such data could lead to a severe loss of power. In this paper, we propose the HAP-1-TDT method based on case-parent pairs to detect haplotype/disease association. A permutation-based randomisation technique is devised to assess the significance of the test statistic. Furthermore, the combined statistic HAP-C-TDT is developed to use jointly case-parents trios and case-parent pairs. These test statistics can be applied to either phase-known or phase-unknown data. A number of simulation studies are conducted to investigate the validity of the proposed tests; these studies show that the statistics are robust to population structure. Using several disease genes from the literature, we illustrate that incorporating case-parent pairs into an association study leads to noticeable power gain. Moreover, our simulation results suggest that our method has better size and power than UNPHASED. Finally, in simulated scenarios where there are only a few SNPs and risk is determined by two haplotypes that are complementary or near-complementary, our method has better power than TRIMM. [source]


Geriatric Emergency Medicine with Integrated Simulation Curriculum

ACADEMIC EMERGENCY MEDICINE, Issue 2009
Chris Doty
Our initiative is a replicable model curriculum that teaches emergency geriatric care principles utilizing didactics and immersive simulation. Simulated scenarios encompass principles specific to geriatric care. Major curricular principles include: 1) respect for patients' autonomy, 2) accommodating patients' physical and cognitive limitations, 3) appropriate resource utilization, and 4) accurate symptom recognition and clinical decision-making. These four basic principles are incorporated throughout the curriculum and specifically during three simulated scenarios: 1) a patient with respiratory distress in the setting of end-stage cancer and end-of-life teaches topics pertaining to living wills, health care proxies and DNR orders; 2) a fallen patient requiring a trauma evaluation and safe discharge teaches resource utilization, complex evaluation of home environment, social support principles, access to medical care concepts, and utilization of institutional social services; 3) a patient with altered mental status caused by polypharmacy and sepsis teaches geriatric diagnostic and intervention challenges. Faculty teach specific clinical tactics such as minimizing distractions, frequent reorientation, minimal use of urinary catheters and "tethering" devices, prompt triage and medical screening exams, and coordinating disposition with family, nursing, and clerical staff. The curriculum also includes large classroom didactics incorporating active learning via live streamed simulation into the resident conference room. We developed an internet-based tool to manage the curriculum and track resident participation. The tool stores and sends educational handouts via email and displays digital media (e.g., radiographs, EKGs) on screen during lectures and simulation sessions. Learning objectives are measured and reinforced with pre- and post-curriculum test questions. [source]