A comparison of rapid cycle deliberate practice and traditional reflective debriefing on interprofessional team performance.

BACKGROUND: In simulation-based education, debriefing is necessary to promote knowledge acquisition and skill application. Rapid Cycle Deliberate Practice (RCDP) and Traditional Reflective Debriefing (TRD) are based in learning theories of deliberate practice and reflective learning, respectively. In this study, we compared the effectiveness of TRD versus RCDP on acquisition of conceptual knowledge and teamwork skills among interdisciplinary learners in the pediatric emergency department. METHODS: One hundred sixty-four learners including emergency department attending physicians, fellows, nurses, medical technicians, paramedics, and respiratory therapists, participated in 28 in-situ simulation workshops over 2 months. Groups were quasi-randomized to receive RCDP or TRD debriefing. Learners completed a multiple-choice test to assess teamwork knowledge. The TEAM Assessment Tool assessed team performance before and after debriefing. Primary outcomes were teamwork knowledge and team performance. RESULTS: Average pre-intervention baseline knowledge assessment scores were high in both groups (TRD mean 90.5 (SD 12.7), RCDP mean 88.7 (SD 15.5). Post-test scores showed small improvements in both groups (TRD mean 93.2 (SD 12.2), RCDP mean 89.9 (SD 13.8), as indicated by effect sizes (ES = 0.21 and 0.09, for TRD and RCDP, respectively). Assessment of team performance demonstrated a significant improvement in mean scores from pre-assessment to post-assessment for all TEAM Assessment skills in both TRD and RCDP arms, based on p-values (all p < 0.01) and effect sizes (all ES > 0.8). While pre-post improvements in TEAM scores were generally higher in the RCDP group based on effect sizes, analysis did not indicate either debriefing approach as meaningfully improved over the other. CONCLUSIONS: Our study did not demonstrate that either TRD versus RCDP was meaningfully better in teamwork knowledge acquisition or improving skill application and performance. As such, we propose Reflective Deliberate Practice as a framework for future study to allow learners to reflect on learning and practice in action.

The effect of massive transfusion protocol implementation on pediatric trauma care.

BACKGROUND: Massive transfusion protocols (MTPs) to address hemorrhage are understudied in children. The objective was to determine the effect of MTP implementation on outcomes of injured children. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: This was a retrospective comparison of injured children before and after MTP implementation for children less than 18 years old who presented in 2005 to 2014 and received red blood cells (RBCs) within 24 hours of arrival. Children were divided into groups based on pre-/post-MTP implementation and subgrouped based on receipt of massive transfusion (≥40 mL/kg RBCs or ≥80 mL/kg total blood products at 24 hr from arrival). The primary outcome was in-hospital mortality and secondary outcomes were total blood product use, intensive care unit/ventilator/pressor-free days, composite morbidity, and Glasgow Outcome Score. RESULTS: A total of 11,995 children presented for trauma care over 9 years; 235 received RBCs. A total of 120 were in the pre-MTP group and 115 in the post-MTP, of whom 26 and 17 received massive transfusion in the pre- and post-MTP groups, respectively; 11 had MTP activations. Children massively transfused after MTP received mean plasma:RBC and platelet (PLT):RBC ratios greater than 1:1 at both 6 and 24 hours with no significant difference in total admission blood product use. There was no difference in in-hospital mortality between pre- and post-MTP groups (24% vs. 19%) or massive transfusion subgroups (54% vs. 47%). There were no differences in secondary outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: While we were not able to show improvements in outcome, MTP implementation led to higher plasma and PLT:RBC ratios without an associated change in blood product use or composite morbidity.

Debriefer cognitive load during Traditional Reflective Debriefing vs. Rapid Cycle Deliberate Practice interdisciplinary team training.

BACKGROUND: Cognitive load impacts performance of debriefers and learners during simulations, but limited data exists examining debriefer cognitive load. The aim of this study is to compare the cognitive load of the debriefers during simulation-based team training (SbTT) with Rapid Cycle Deliberate Practice (RCDP) debriefing and Traditional Reflective Debriefing (TRD). We hypothesize that cognitive load will be reduced during RCDP compared to TRD. METHODS: This study was part of a large-scale, interdisciplinary team training program at Children's Healthcare of Atlanta Egleston Pediatric Emergency Department, with 164 learners (physicians, nurses, medical technicians, paramedics, and respiratory therapists (RTs)). Eight debriefers (main facilitators and discipline-specific coaches) led 28 workshops, which were quasi-randomized to either RCDP or TRD. Each session began with a baseline medical resuscitation scenario and cognitive load measurement using the NASA Task Load Index (TLX), and the NASA TLX was repeated immediately following either TRD or RCDP debriefing. Raw scores of the NASA TLX before and after intervention were compared. ANOVA tests were used to compare differences in NASA TLX scores before and after intervention between the RCDP and TRD groups. RESULTS: For all debriefers, mean NASA TLX scores for physical demands and frustration significantly decreased (- 0.8, p = 0.004 and - 1.3, p = 0.002) in TRD and mean perceived performance success significantly increased (+ 2.4, p < 0.001). For RCDP, perceived performance success increased post-debriefing (+ 3.6, p < 0.001), time demands decreased (- 1.0, p = 0.04), and frustration decreased (- 2.0, p < 0.001). Comparing TRD directly to RCDP, perceived performance success was greater in RCDP than TRD (3.6 vs. 2.4, p = 0.04). Main facilitators had lower effort and mental demand in RCDP and greater perceived success (p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: RCDP had greater perceived success than TRD for debriefers. Main facilitators also report reduced effort and baseline mental demand in RCDP. For less experienced debriefers, newer simulation programs, or large team training sessions such as our study, RCDP may be a less mentally demanding debriefing methodology for facilitators.

Temporal disintegration in depersonalization disorder.

Distortions of the experience of time are central to some types of dissociative experiences. In this study, we investigated the relationship between a self-report measure of temporal disintegration and symptoms of dissociation in depersonalization disorder (DPD). Fifty-two DPD and thirty non-clinical control participants were administered the Dissociative Experience Scale (DES) and Temporal Integration Inventory (TII). The DPD group had significantly higher TII scores than the control group. Within the DPD group, there was a significant positive correlation between DES total score and TII total score, and between TII-time distinction subscale score and TII-agency subscale score. In the DPD group, TII scores were not associated with age of onset or duration of illness. Of the three dissociative domains of absorption, amnesia, and depersonalization/derealization, only absorption was a significant predictor of TII total and subscale scores by stepwise linear regression analyses. We conclude that the experience of temporal disintegration in DPD is not directly related to the core symptoms of depersonalization/derealization, but exists when the depersonalized experience involves more prominent absorption.